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PERU 

ITS  STORY,  PEOPLE,  and 


RELIGION 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/peruitsstorypeopOOtayl 


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PERU 


ITS  STORY 
PEOPLE,  AND 
RELIGION  . . 


BY 

GERALDINE  GUINNESS 

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ILLUSTRATED  BY 

Dr.  H.  GRATTAN  GUINNESS 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


NEW  YORK 


CHICAGO 


New  York  : 158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago : 80  Wabash  Avenue 

Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh : 100  Princes  Street 


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V 


PREFACE 


BY 

PROFESSOR  ALEX.  MACALISTER 

LL.D.,  M.D.,  D.Sc.,  M.A.,  F.R.S.,  F.S.A. 

CAMBPJDGE  UNIVERSITY 

1 

rpHE  spiritual  needs  of  Latin  America,  that  continent 
of  paganized  Christianity  and  of  ecclesiastical 
tyranny,  have  been  strangely  overlooked  hy  the  various 
missionary  societies  of  Protestant  Europe  and  Anglo- 
Teutonic  America.  That  our  British  organizations 
have  done  comparatively  little  work  in  this  field  is  'per- 
haps not  surprising  ivhen  ive  remember  the  share  of  the 
White  MaEs  burden  ivhich  they  have  to  bear  in  the  non- 
Christian  sections  of  the  many  British  dependencies  in 
other  continents,  and  in  those  countries  tvith  ivhich  we 
are  so  closely  connected  by  ties  of  commerce.  But 
considering  the  peculiar  relationship)  which  the  United 
States  claim  to  bear  to  the  South  American  republics,  as 
set  forth  in  the  Monroe  doctrine,  it  is  remarkable  that 
the  American  missionary  societies,  elsewhere  so  much  in 
the  van  of  evangelistic  work,  have  not  done  more  for  the 

vii 


via 


PREFACE 


spiritual  welfare  o f the  less  favoured  sister  nation,  Peru, 
in  which  republican  institutions  of  a sort  are  associated 
with  a religious  intolerance  nearly  as  great  as  that  of 
Spain  in  the  days  of  the  Inquisition. 

A record  like  this,  which  will  arouse  the  attention  of 
evangelical  ChHstendom  to  the  religious  conditions  which 
exist  in  Peru  and  in  other  parts  of  South  America,  and 
which  thereby  may  serve  to  further  the  progress  of  a pure 
Christianity  there,  is  on  this  account  of  peculiar  value. 

The  author  of  this  book.  Miss  Guinness,  a student  of 
jyhilosophy  at  University  College,  is  a young  lady  of  a 
family  many  of  whose  members  have  done  noble  service 
in  the  missionary  cause.  She  has  had  unusual  oppor- 
tunities, during  her  sojourn  in  Peru,  of  observing  the 
conditions  of  spiritual  destitution  and  the  obstacles 
w'hicli  hinder  the  spread  of  evangelical  truth  there.  She 
has  here  collected  and  set  forth  her  notes  of  travel  in 
many  parts  of  that  singularly  diversified  and  interesting 
country,  and  they  make  a most  striking  and  suggestive 
ivork.  She  shows  herself  to  be  a keen  and  sympathetic 
observer  of  people  and  p>laces,  and  to  p^ossess  the  faculty 
of  vivid  description.  The  accounts  she  gives  are  written 
in  an  agreeable  literary  style,  and  the  facts  are  accu- 
rately recorded.  These  elements  give  to  her  story  a 


PREFACE 


IX 


charm  and  attractiveness  that  can  hardly  fail  to  lead 
many  to  take  a deeper  interest  in  the  needs  of  these  yreat 
dark  lands. 

It  is  with  peeuliar  pleasicre  that  1 commend  her 
narrative  to  the  earnest  consideration  of  all  those  tvho 
are  interested  in  the  eause  of  Christian  missions,  and 
who  desire  that  the  Gospel  of  the  Graee  of  God  may  have 
free  course  throughout  the  whole  ivorid. 


ALEX.  MAC  ALLS  TEE. 


INTRODUCTION 


■¥ 


S I write,  the  sounds  of  London  begin  to  grow  dim,  and  I 


live  again  in  the  sunny  Southern  continent.  One  of  the 
scenes  most  vivid  to  my  memory  is  a storm  on  Titicaca — that 
unique  lake  held  two  and  a half  miles  high  in  the  air  by 
Andean  peaks. 

A starlit  sky,  a crescent  moon,  a glassy  lake — not  a breath 
rippled  the  water,  and  the  balmy  night  air  played  with  our  sail 
in  a taunting  way.  Little  did  we  guess  this  evening  was  to 
prove  one  of  the  most  eventful  in  our  lives ! 

It  was  a weird  scene — the  night  blackness  deepening  as 
stars  and  moon  were  lost  to  sight,  summer  lightning  playing 
round  the  horizon,  a dark  sail  flapping  above  us,  and  the  bronze 
faces  of  our  Indian  boatmen  lit  by  their  glowing  pipes.  The 
wind  at  last ! It  was  Ailing  the  sail  in  a restless  way,  and 
rustling  the  waves  around  us.  The  cold  increased  every 
minute,  and  the  lightning  was  now  so  brilliant  that  we  could 
see  each  other  clearly.  Ah,  how  we  flew  along,  scudding 
before  the  gale  ! The  waves  slapped  the  little  open  boat  as  she 
sped  past,  and  cold  spray  cut  our  faces.  Was  ever  such  a wild 
run  as  we  made  that  night,  with  the  storm  which  we  had  not 
recognized  following  close  on  our  trail  ? We  did  not  realize  that 
we  had  to  speak  louder  to  make  ourselves  heard  above  the  noise 
of  the  water ; we  were  not  conscious  that  the  low  groaning 
which  seemed  to  come  over  the  lake  was  thunder.  We  only 
knew  that  our  little  boat  lay  over  on  her  side,  the  sail  danger- 
ously full,  and  that  we  fled  before  the  wind,  racing  madly 
through  the  night. 


XI 


“FAR  FROM  HOME” 


xii 

Danger ! The  word  was  in  our  hearts,  but  in  the  lightning 
flash  every  face  was  reassuring,  though  the  Indians’  looked 
desperate  as  they  hauled  at  the  ropes  and  shouted  to  each  other 
above  the  storm  voices. 

Danger ! Every  minute  made  it  more  apparent.  The  storm 
was  on  us.  The  furious  lake  disowned  us ; her  waves  buffeted 
us  without  pity  ; the  angry  winds  disdainfully  swept  us  on  one 
side ; the  thunder  roared  fearfully,  shaking  the  very  atmosphere 
about  us ; whilst  the  livid  lightning  flashes  revealed  a very 
chaos  of  blackness — a combat  of  night  passions — a storm  on 
Titicaca.  One  minute  our  sail  was  to  windward,  and  we  were 
in  danger  of  capsizing;  then  it  had  jibbed  and  was  flapping 
wildly  in  the  whirling  wind,  which  seemed  to  have  no  direction, 
no  aim  but  to  daunt  us.  In  puffs  it  came,  and  nearly  accom- 
plished this  cruel  end ; but  the  voices  of  the  deep  and  of  the 
thunder-clouds  were  in  such  passionate  confusion  that  it  sped 
away  again  to  join  the  quarrel,  and  our  poor  little  boat  still 
held  her  own.  Any  moment  might  have  been  our  last,  and  as 
the  slow  seconds  dragged  along,  thoughts  of  the  end  whirled 
through  my  mind : drowned  at  midnight  on  Titicaca — to  sleep 
in  the  heart  of  the  Andes,  and  no  one  ever  know ! Then  our 
voices  sounded  out  the  prayer  of  our  hearts,  and  ever  and  again 
above  the  mad  ravings  of  the  elements  the  words  might  have 
been  heard — 

“ Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom, 

Lead  Thou  me  on, 

The  night  is  dark,  and  I am  far  from  home, 

Lead  Thou  me  on.” 

Never  before  had  I so  realized  the  meaning  of  the  words — 

“So  long  Thy  power  hath  hle.ssed  me,  sure  it  still 
Will  lead  me  on. 

O’er  moor  and  fen,  o’er  crag  and  torrent,  till 
The  night  he  gone ; 

And  with  the  morn  those  angel  faces  smile. 

Which  I have  loved  long  since,  and  lost  awhile.” 


WAS  IT  WORTH  WHILE  ? 


xiii 

The  storm  seemed  very  far  away ; the  deafening  thunder 
and  complaining  wave-voices  were  distant  sounds ; the  angel 
faces  were  smiling — oh,  so  near ! Was  the  night  to  end 
thus  ? 

We  were  nearing  the  narrow  passage  which  led  through  a 
rocky  reef  in  a direct  line  for  our  destination.  Every  nerve 
was  strained,  and  the  crucial  minutes  seemed  hours. 

“ To  the  oars ! To  the  oars ! Quick — or  we  are  on  the 
rocks ! ” 

The  great  waves  were  playing  with  us,  and  the  reef  was 
within  a few  yards.  At  last  the  tension  was  over;  the  sail 
was  lowered ; we  had  turned  and  were  rowing  hard  against 
the  wind,  trying  only  to  keep  off  the  rocks.  The  Indians  said 
it  was  impossible  to  reach  their  home  that  night ; the  reef 
was  impassable.  So  we  made  for  a narrow  bay,  and  when 
we  had  escaped  from  the  storm,  ran  in  shore  to  the  reeds,  and 
dropped  our  anchor.  I felt  the  rain  fall  softly ; I saw  the 
Indians  pull  the  sail  over  them  in  the  bow ; but  was  too  tired 
to  think.  We  were  safe  now.  The  cold  numbed  all  feeling, 
and  movement  was  impossible  on  the  narrow  seat  where 
I lay. 

Ah,  but  it  is  cold ! — raw,  biting  cold ! Listen  to  the 
waves  lapping  softly  round  the  boat.  Feel  the  wet  reeds  in 
your  face  as  we  swing  with  the  breeze.  It  is  raining  more 
heavily  now — rain,  and  snow,  and  sleet.  Pull  the  rug  further 
over  your  face.  Ah,  but  it  is  cold  ! 

The  prayer  which  our  hymn  wafted  heavenwards  that 
furious  night  was  answered,  and  through  that,  and  many 
another  peril,  we  were  led  safely  home.  Was  it  all  worth 
while?  I ask  myself,  and  in  the  same  breath  answer,  Yes — a 
thousand  times — to  have  come  to  know  and  love  the  wonderful 
land  of  the  Incas  ! 


XIV 


MY  FIRST  BOOK 


In  turning  over  some  old  papers  a short  time  ago,  I came 
across  my  first  hook.  It  was  compiled  of  waste  scraps  of  paper 
from  my  Aunt’s  study  (Lucy  Guinness  Kumm);  on  the  cover 
she  had  written  my  name  in  large  hold  capitals,  fantastically 
intertwined ; and  on  the  first  page  I had  drawn  a map  of  South 
America.  That  was  twelve  years  ago,  before  I had  entered 
upon  my  teens.  But  perhaps  the  prayers  offered  up  in  that 
room  have  more  than  a little  to  do  with  this  other  hook,  which 
tells  of  the  story,  people,  and  religion  of  Peru. 

A bibliography  shows  the  authors  whose  experience  has 
confirmed  and  amplified  mine.  Father’s  picture.s — and  only 
those  who  have  travelled  in  the  Andes  will  fully  appreciate  the 
untiring  patience  and  energy  to  which  they  wdtness — these 
make  a stronger  appeal  for  Peru  than  can  any  words. 

I should  like  to  take  this  opportunity  of  tendering  very 
earnest  thanks  to  the  many  friends  who  have  so  generously 
helped  me  in  my  work.  Amongst  those  who  have  revised  parts 
of  the  manuscript  I gratefully  remember  Principal  Jackson  and 
Professor  Schofield  of  Harley  College;  Mr.  Schuman  of  the 
Y.M.C. A.,  Buenos  Aires ; Mrs.  Strachan  of  the  Argentine ; the 
Rev.  John  Bain  of  Ireland;  Mr.  J.  S.  Watson  of  Lima;  and  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Guinness.  Of  the  many  who  have  given  me  valuable 
information  I am  especially  indebted  to  Mr.  Ritson,  who  made 
it  possible  for  me  to  consult  the  library  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society;  to  Dr.  T.  Wood  of  the  American 
Methodist  Episcopal  Mission ; to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stark  of  Lima ; 
and  to  the  missionaries  of  the  Regions  Beyond  Missionary 
Union  with  whom  I stayed  in  Peru:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jarrett, 
IVIr.  and  Mrs.  Payne,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  Stuart  M“Nairn,  Miss  E. 
Pinn,  Mes.srs.  J.  Ritchie  and  II.  A.  Job. 

For  several  illustrations  I am  indebted  to  those  who  worked 
in  the  Mi.ssionary  Studio  at  Cuzco.  “ Scenes  on  the  Sierra,” 


PLEASURE  AND  HEARTACHE 


XV 


and  “ A Cuzqueno  Goddess,”  were  taken  by  Mr.  Charles  Derry, 
a former  missionary  of  the  Regions  Beyond  Missionary  Union 
in  Peru.  “The  Sweating  Image”  is  by  Mx’.  James  Watson; 
“ Llamas,”  by  Mr.  T.  E.  Payne ; and  “ A Monolith  at  Tiahuanuco,” 
“The  City  of  the  Volcano’s  Shadow,”  and  “The  Cathedral  of 
Copacabana,”  belong  to  Senor  Vargas,  a Bolivian  photographer. 

Facts,  not  mere  sentiment,  will  move  hearts.  If  the  facts 
are  here  sometimes  told  with  lightness  of  style,  it  is  not  because 
they  were  learned  with  any  lightness  of  heart.  Smiles  may 
come  when  tears  are  very  near;  and  laughter  cover  a sob. 
Thus  far  inconsistency  is  sincerity,  for  pleasure  and  heartache 
alternate  in  the  fascinating  land  of  the  Incas. 


GERALDINE  GUINNESS. 


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CONTENTS 


4 

PAGE 

Preface  by  Prof.  Alex.  Macali.ster,  Professor  of 

Axatomy,  Cambridge  University vii 

Introduction xi 

PART  I.— PERU:  ITS  STORY 

Chapter  I. — A Land  of  Contrasts — 

Peru,  as  geographically  representative  of  the  unique  con- 
trasts of  South  America — The  origin  and  characteristics  of  its 
three  distinct  zones — Montana,  Sierra,  and  Coast  ....  3 

Chapter  II. — Peruvian  Legends — 

Travel  in  historical  parts  of  Peru — Civilizations  which  ante- 
dated that  of  the  Incas  — Chimu  pottery  (Northern  Peru) — 

The  ruined  sanctuary  of  Tiahuanuco  (Southern  Peru)  ...  9 

Chapter  III. — Children  of  the  Sun — 

A journey  on  Lake  Titicaca,  and  along  the  historic  route  to 
Cuzco — Something  about  the  Euqjire  of  the  Incas  . . . 17 

Chapter  IV. — At  Inti’s  Shrine — 

Adventures  on  islands  which  are  famous  as  the  centre  of  Inca 
sun-worship — Reminiscences  of  ancient  religious  festivals  held  in 
Cuzco 2.5 

Chapter  V. — The  Conquest  of  Peru — 

Diary  of  a journey  along  the  route  followed  by  the  Spanish 
discoverers  and  concj[uerors  of  Peru 37 

Chapter  VI. — Westward  Ho! — 

Some  account  of  relics  which  I saw  in  Lima,  recalling  the 
days  of  Spanish  rule  in  South  America  — The  gold  rush  to  Peru, 
the  piracy  of  the  Pacific,  and  the  regime  of  the  Inquisition  . . 49 

xvii 


CONTENTS 


xviii 

Chapter  VII. — Papist  and  Pagan — 

TAOE 

An  account  of  the  “ conversion  ” and  decimation  of  the  Inca 
Indians 59 

Chapter  VIII. — Libertad  ! Igualdad  ! Fraternidad  ! — 

Memories  of  the  fight  for  republican  liberty — The  present 
constitution,  population,  and  religion  of  Peru  ....  69 

PART  II.— PERU:  ITS  PEOPLE 

Chapter  IX. — The  Coast  Valleys — 

Account  of  a journey  along  the  coast  of  Peru,  with  descrip- 
tion of  its  ports,  their  cosmopolitan  population,  and  various 
industries 81 

Chapter  X. — Lima,  the  Phienix  City — 

Callao  and  Lima— A glimpse  into  the  political,  business,  and 
social  life  of  the  capital 89 

Chapter  XI. — University  Life — 

Peruvian  liberalism  in  relation  to  : — 1.  France  ; 2.  Rome  ; 

3.  Foreigners — The  amusements,  education,  and  spiritual  need  of 
Peru’s  students 99 

Chapter  XII. — A Desert  and  its  Oasis  City — 

A diary  of  travel  from  Mollendo  to  Arequipa  . . .113 

Chapter  XIII. — Life  on  the  Roof  of  Peru — 

The  contrasts  in  race,  commerce,  and  religion,  which  are  seen 
on  the  Sierra 121 

Chapter  XIV. — The  Cry  of  the  Children — 

Description  of  child  life  in  Cuzco,  and  analysis  of  the  causes 
of  the  social  evils  which  it  reveals 133 

Chapter  XV. — “Ciiolitas,”  as  seen  by  a Lady  Missionary — 

Visiting  among  the  poor  patients  of  a missionary  nurse  . . 147 


CONTENTS 


XIX 


Chapter  XVI. — The  White  Man’s  Burden — 

PAGE 

How  the  Inca  Indians  live  as  cultivators,  shepherds,  or 
miners 161 

Chapter  XVII. — Paganized  Christianity — 

An  account  of  Pagan  ceremonies  which  I witnessed  on  the 
Sierra — The  relation  of  the  Inca  Indians  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church 171 


Chapter  XVIII. — The  Indian;  His  Character  and 

Mental  Possibilities I85 

Chapter  XIX. — The  Indian’s  Wrongs— 

Some  account  of  the  military,  educational,  and  governmental 
abuses  to  which  the  Indians  are  sul)ject — An  analysis  of  their 
causes,  and  appeal  to  Christendom  for  help 195 

Chapter  XX. — Beyond  the  Mists — 

A journey  from  the  Sierra  to  Ifj^uitos — Life  in  that  port — 

The  return  journey  to  the  Pacific 207 

Chapter  XXI. — Black  Gold — 

The  life  of  a rubber  trader — Account  of  the  savage  tribes  of 
the  Montana — Contact  of  ruhher-merchant,  priest,  and  savage  . 219 


PART  III.— PERU:  ITS  RELIGION 

(A)  ROMANISM,  A POLITICAL  POWER 
Chapter  XXII. — How  Rome  Works — 

The  radical  difference  between  Protestantism  and  Romanism 
— How  Rome  works  in  Peru  through  Canon  Law,  Persecution, 
the  Com/padrazco  system,  Peast  Days,  and  Motherhood  . . . 239 

Chapter  XXIII. — The  Too-Religious  City — 

A city  which,  in  its  devotion,  fanaticism,  and  love  of  show, 
illustrates  the  nature  of  Rome’s  power  . 


251 


XX 


CONTENTS 


{B)  ROMAXISM,  A SPIRITUAL  FAillNE 

Chapter  XXIV. — Public  and  Private  Worship — 

PAQR 

Bible-teacliing,  preaching,  and  worship  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  in  Peru 261 

Chapter  XXV. — Idolatry — 

Saint- worship  and  image-worship 275 

Chapter  XXVI. — The  Queen  of  Heaven — 

The  history  of  Mariolatr}' — How  in  Peru  the  Virgin  is 
honoured  by  feasts,  pilgi'images,  and  sisterhoods  ....  285 

Chapter  XXVII. — The  Keswick  of  Peru — 

An  account  of  my  pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  of  the  famous 
Virgin  of  Copacabana,  and  extracts  from  the  devotional  manual 
used  at  that  “ convention  ” 299 

Chapter  XXVIII. — Corpus  Christi — 

The  annual  procession  in  honour  of  the  Host,  as  I saw  it  in 
Cuzco 319 

Chapter  XXIX. — The  Land  of  the  Christle.ss  Cross — 

The  meaning  of  the  Cross  to  various  classes  of  Peruvians  . 331 

Chapter  XXX. — Ocn  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes— 

The  worship  of  a “ miraculous  ” image  of  the  crucifixion  . 341 

(C)  ROMAXISM,  A MORAL  PESTILENCE 

Chapter  XXXI. — The  Peruvian  Prie.sthood  . . .351 

Chapter  XXXII. — Links  in  the  Chain  of  Papal 
Despotism — 

How  priests  control  society  by  the  Confes.sional,  Absolution, 
Extreme  Unction,  and  their  teaching  concerning  Purgatory . . 365 


CONTENTS 


XXI 


Chapter  XXXIII. — Monastic  Education — 

PAGE 

The  development  of  a system  of  national  education — 
Monastic  schools  and  monasteries 377 

(D)  ROMANISM  CHALLENGED 
Chapter  XXXIV. — “ Los  Propagandlstas  ” — 

Sites  of  interest  in  the  history  of  missionary  effort  in  Peru — 

The  difficulties  of  religious  intolerance,  insanitary  conditions  of 
life,  and  Peruvian  character,  met  hy  the  missionaries  . . . 389 

Chapter  XXXV.— Missionary  Realities — 

The  vicissitudes  of  missionary  life  as  I saw  it — A pioneering 
expedition — “ Sickness  unto  death  ” 403 

Chapter  XXXVI. — The  Missionary  Genius — 

Health,  physical  and  spiritual,  in  the  mission-house  . . 413 

Afterword 422 

Appendix 421 

Glossary 425 

Bibliography 429 


Index 


433 


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I ILLUSTRATIONS,  MAPS,  AND  DIAGRAMS 


PAGE 


An  Archway  in  Cuzco  . 

(Photogrmure) 

Frontispiece 

A Monolith  at  TiahuInuco 

. 

11 

Peruvian  Pottery 

(Photogravure) 

13 

Sketch  Map  op  the  Pacific  Ocean,  showing  Routes  op 
TioN  INTO  America  prom  Asia 

Immigra- 

16 

An  Inca  Mummy  .... 

20 

Past  and  Present 

24 

Plan  op  the  “Temple  op  the  Sun”  . 

31 

A Wall  op  Coricancha. 

34 

A Cyclopean  Wonder  . 

44 

The  Death  op  Atahualpa 

(Photogravure) 

51 

The  “Place  op  Gold”  Transformed  . 

64 

Beneath  the  Republic 

76 

Lima,  Ancient  and  Modern 

94 

Peruvian  Belles 

104 

The  City  op  the  Volcano’s  Shadow  . 

118 

Lake  Titicaca  .... 

(Photogravure) 

125 

Diagram  to  illustrate  Travelling  on 

THE  Sierra 

129 

An  Indiacito  .... 

(Photogravure) 

139 

“ Please  go  Shares  ! ” an  Inca  Melody 

145 

“The  Street  that  Tires  the  Fox”  . 

149 

In  a Patio  .... 

154 

An  Indian  Water-Carrier 

164 

“Come  over  and  help  us”  . 

(Photogravure) 

175 

Llamas  ..... 

. , 

181 

A Mountaineer  .... 

188 

Scenes  on  the  Sierra  . 

200 

Diagrammatic  Map  op  the  Andes  and  the  Amazon 

209 

A Son  op  the  Forest  . 

(Photogravure) 

227 

The  Cathedral  of  Arequipa  . 

xxiii 

242 

xxiv  ILLUSTRATIONS,  MAPS,  AND  DIAGRAMS 


A Peruvian  Hospital  ..... 

The  Door  of  the  Jesuit  Church,  Arequipa 
A Peruvian  Idol  ..... 

The  Sweating  Image  ..... 

“La  Virgen”  ...... 

A CuzQUENO  Goddess  ..... 

“Come  unto  Mary”  ..... 

Motherhood  ....  {Fholo<jravure) 

The  Cathedral  of  Copacabana 

A Procession  of  Saints  in  Cuzco 

A Christless  Cross  ..... 

A Study  .....  (Photogravure) 

A Collecting-Box  for  Souls  in  Purgatory  . 

In  the  Monks’  Gallery  .... 

Our  Mission  Hall,  Lima  .... 

A Physical  Map  of  Peru  .... 


PAGE 

254 

264 

277 

282 

287 

288 

294 

301 

312 

328 

334 

355 

374 

380 

392 

440 


PART  I 

PERU:  ITS  STORY 


I 


Chapter  I. — A Land  of  Contrasts — 

A representative  land — The  youngest  of  continents — The 
three  parts  of  Peru  which  are  as  different  as  the  Congo,  Tibet, 
and  Arabia — In  the  shadow -haunted  dep>ths  of  the  Montana — 
On  the  roof  of  Peru — A land  where  it  only  rains  once  in  nine 
years — A p>roblem  concerning  the  effect  of  physical  environment. 


3 


ERRATUM. 


On  illustration  facing  p.  264, /o?’  cuzco  read  arequipa. 


CHAPTER  1 


A LAND  OF  CONTRASTS 

“ There’s  no  sense  in  going  further — it’s 
The  edge  of  cultivation.” — Rudyard  Kipling. 

SOUTH  AMERICA  is  a triangle  of  land  set  in  the  midst 
of  the  world’s  two  greatest  oceans.  The  Equator  forms  its 
base,  and  the  icebergs  of  the  Antarctic  Ocean  crowd  about  its 
vertex. 

Time  has  not  yet  levelled  the  crumpled  surface  of  this  part 
of  the  earth  ; for  South  America  is  the  youngest  of  the  continents, 
and  consequently  has  more  very  low  land  and  more  very  high 
land  than  any  other.  The  mighty  Andes,  which  form  an 
unbroken  barrier  for  its  west  coast  from  Panama  to  the  Horn, 
exceed  all  other  mountain  chains  as  far  as  length  and  average 
height  are  concerned.  Their  position  is  also  of  phenomenal 
importance,  for,  since  they  lie  directly  athwart  the  Trade  Winds 
coming  both  from  the  north-east  and  south-east,  on  their 
eastern  or  windward  side,  where  the  moisture-laden  Trades 
meet,  there  is  a heavier  rainfall  than  on  any  similar  highland 
in  the  world ; while  on  the  west  there  is  a desert  where  one 
may  live  for  years  without  any  need  of  an  umbrella. 

Peru,  perhaps  better  than  any  other  republic,  represents 
the  contrasts  of  the  Continent.  It  is  as  large  as  Germany, 
Austria,  and  Hungary  combined.  One  of  its  departments 
(Loreto)  alone  comprises  a greater  territory  than  does  Italy ; 
and  two  others  (Cuzco  and  Puno)  have  an  area  larger  than 
Spain.  The  republic  lies  entirely  within  the  torrid  zone ; but 


6 


A LAND  OF  CONTRASTS 


the  two  parallel  chains  of  mountains  which  are  commonly 
designated  the  Coast  Range  and  the  Andes  proper,  divide  it 
longitudinally  into  three  distinct  zones  differing  as  widely  in 
natural  characteristics  as  do  the  Congo,  Tibet,  and  Arabia. 

The  humid  winds  which  sweep  westwards  from  the  Atlantic, 
convert  the  eastern  lowland  or  Montana  of  Peru  into  a 
steaming  jungle,  which  constant  heavy  rain  and  equatorial  heat 
make  the  world’s  greatest  rubber  forest. 

“ Rolling  like  a mighty  ocean  of  vegetation  across  the 
thousands  of  miles  that  separate  the  Atlantic  from  the  Andes, 
the  Montana  washes  the  base  of  that  mighty  range,  and  flings 
its  waves  high  up  the  mountain  sides,  submerging  the  outlying 
hills  and  filling  the  lower  valleys  to  the  brim  with  its  swell- 
ing tide  of  green.  Here  and  there  a craggy  headland  lifts  its 
rocky  .summit  above  the  forest  waste,  grim  and  defiant,  but 
with  clumps  of  vegetation  in  its  ravines  and  hollows,  like 
green  pools  left  by  the  wind-blown  spray  from  the  waves  that 
surge  around  its  base. 

“ Weird,  mystic,  fascinating  is  this  strange  unknown  forest- 
land. What  secrets  lie  hidden  beneath  its  leafy  sea?  What 
wonders  lie  unrevealed  in  its  remote  recesses  ? What  strange 
peoples  wander  through  its  glades,  and  what  revelations  of 
plant  and  animal  life  await  the  explorer  in  its  shadow-haunted 
depths  ? Here  the  great  Amazonian  tributaries,  born  in  the 
distant  Andean  snows,  reach  maturity,  and  by  unknown  paths, 
through  ti’opic  gloom,  hasten  to  swell  the  retinue  of  the  king 
of  rivers  in  his  majestic  progress  to  the  sea.”  ^ 

The  Trades  trace  the  Amazon  to  its  mountain  .sources  on 
the  lofty  plateau  between  the  two  parallel  Andean  ranges. 
This  is  the  Sierra,  the  wonderful  I'oof  of  Peru,  where  mountains 
and  hills  of  inexhaustible  mineral  wealth,  and  sheltered  valleys 
of  tropical  and  subtropical  agriculture,  constitute  a microcosm 
of  the  earth  itself. 

' A.  Stuart  M^Naini,  missionary  of  the  Regions  beyond  Mi.ssionary 
Union  in  Pern. 


THE  CONGO,  TIBET,  AND  ARABIA  OF  PERU  7 


From  this  fair  garden  roof  the  Trades  climb  to  barren 
plains,  frigid  and  desolate — the  punas  of  Peru,  which  vary  from 
14,000  to  17,000  feet  in  altitude.  These  form  the  summit  of 
the  Coast  Range ; and  the  winds,  after  leaving  their  last  drops 
of  moisture  as  snow  on  their  bleak  plains  or  lonely  peaks, 
rush  down  the  western  slope,  cool  and  dry. 

Sometimes  the  mountains  seem  to  descend  to  the  very 
Pacific  shore ; but  at  other  times  they  overlook  a narrow  strip, 
averaging  perhaps  thirty  miles  in  width,  and  known  as  the 
Coast.  This  is  the  desert  of  Peru : “ a waste  of  sand  and  rock 
— the  domain  of  death  and  silence — a silence  only  broken  by 
the  screams  of  water-birds  and  the  roar  of  the  sea-lions  which 
throng  its  frayed  and  forbidding  shore.” 

As  seen  from  the  ocean,  this  desert  is  like  the  most  barren- 
shored  parts  of  Suez,  where  the  sand  climbs  up  by  steps,  gullies, 
and  fissures,  and  the  yellow  is  unrelieved  by  any  speck  of 
green.  Mile  after  mile  it  stretches,  sometimes  running  east- 
wards for  some  distance  at  sea-level,  when  it  is  dotted  with 
the  iron  frames  of  artesian  wells ; at  other  times  ascending  in 
steep  clifis,  above  which  the  Andes  appear,  like  the  long  backs 
and  fins  of  whales,  rising  from  out  a sea  of  white  and  grey 
clouds. 

The  soil  of  this  desert  is  as  fertile  as  any  in  the  world. 
Whenever  rain  falls,  which  it  usually  does  every  nine  years, 
seeds  which  have  long  lain  dormant  spring  into  life,  and  the 
barren  coast  becomes  carpeted  with  beautiful  flowers.  Wherever 
a river  rising  in  Andean  snows  finds  a way  across  the  desert, 
its  track  is  a charming  valley,  the  colours  of  which  rival  those 
of  Egypt,  Southern  California,  or  the  Mediterranean. 

No  land  in  the  world  combines  such  diverse  beauties  and 
interests  as  does  Peru.  In  the  Montana  we  may  follow  the 
trail  of  the  tiger  to  the  ford  where  deer  come  to  drink ; or  run 
hairbreadth  escapes  from  the  boa-constrictor  and  deadly  water- 
snake.  On  the  Sierra  we  may  ride  for  days  over  plains  more 


8 


A LAND  OF  CONTRASTS 


elevated  than  the  summit  of  Mt.  Blanc ; visit  sugar-cane  valleys 
on  a level  with  the  crater  of  Fujiyama;  or  steam  thi’ough 
the  clouds  on  a lake  more  than  forty  times  as  high  in  the  air 
as  the  pinnacle  of  St.  Paul’s.  On  the  Coast  we  may  travel  over 
a desert  as  lone  and  impressive  as  the  Sahara ; or  pick  cotton, 
coffee,  and  pineapples  on  plantations  of  tropical  beauty. 

We  have  studied  the  effect  of  physical  environment  elsewhere, 
perhaps ; but  what  shall  we  expect  to  find  as  the  result  of 
nature’s  contrasts  in  Peru  ? The  interest  of  the  republic’s 
topography  merges  into  that  of  the  character  and  consequent 
history  of  its  peoples — past  and  present.  The  veil  of  the 
unknown  lifts  before  us  as  we  enter  its  virgin  foi’ests ; the 
fascination  of  resu.scitating  a forgotten  past  comes  upon  us  as 
we  stand  amidst  the  ruins  which  strew  its  snow-walled  plateau  ; 
and  the  thrill  of  youth  and  the  inspiration  of  conscious  powers 
and  possibilities  are  ours  as  we  mingle  with  the  new  race  which 
is  growing  up  in  the  beautiful  towns  of  its  coast. 


Chapter  II. — Peruvian  Legends — 


A fascinating  land  lohich  awakes  remembrances  of  Chaldee, 
Egygd,  and  India — Men  %vho  came  on  rafts  from  the  land  of 
the  sunrising — What  the  pottery  buried  in  Peru  tells  us — The 
deserted  idols  of  the  lake-country — A people  who  had  no  houses, 
but  lived  in  boats — The  greatest  aboriginal  raee  of  the  American 
continent 


A MONOLITH  AT  TIAHUANUCO. 

This  is  one  of  the  dumb  gods  which  I saw  through  the  mist.  .At  its  side  is  one  of  the 
much-wronged  Indians  of  the  Titicaca  basin — a suspicious,  reserved  type. 


CHAPTER  II 

PERUVIAN  LEGENDS 

“ A change 

Slow  as  the  oak’s  growth,  lifting  manhood  up 
Through  broader  culture,  finer  manners,  love. 

And  reverence,  to  the  level  of  the  hills.” — Whittier. 

The  traveller,  be  he  missionary  or  merchant,  cannot  refrain 
from  theorizing  as  to  the  past  of  so  fascinating  a land  as 

Peru. 

Its  ruined  temples  with  their  successive  terraces  remind 
him  of  Chaldee ; its  ancient  cyclopean  walls  with  their  carved 
serpents,  of  Egypt ; its  secluded  convents,  of  Chinese  or  Indian 
Buddhism ; and  its  signs  of  sacrifice  and  popular  sun-worship, 
of  a Semitic  civilization.  He  finds  words  and  myths  which 
awake  remembrances  of  ancient  Greece,  and  tales  of  a sacerdotal 
order  and  sacrificial  rites  which  carry  him  in  mind  to  the 
Druid  circles  of  England.^ 

In  Northern  Peru  I myself  visited  the  irrigated  Coast 
valleys,  famous  as  the  site  of  the  civilization  of  the  Chimus, 
probably  the  most  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  country.  The 
legend  is  still  told  there  that  men  first  came  to  this  coast  by 
sea,  on  a large  fleet  of  rafts  commanded  by  a hero  named 
Naymlap. 

Looking  away  over  the  dancing  Pacific  wavelets  to  the 
golden  haze  of  the  West,  I thought  of  those  sturdy  voyagers 
navigating  its  treacherous  waters  in  dim,  distant,  legendary 
1 See  Albert  Reville,  Lectures  on  the  Religion  of  Peru  and  Mexico. 

II 


PERUVIAN  LEGENDS 


I 2 


ages.  Far  beyond  the  reach  of  my  eyesight  Tahiti  lay  in 
the  blue,  and  the  myriad  islands  of  the  Indian  Archipelago 
stretched  out  to  the  mainland  of  the  Old  World,  Did  Naymlap 
come  from  Asia?  The  journey  would  not  be  impossible,  for 
still  the  prevailing  winds  of  the  Pacific  occasionally  carry 
the  junks  of  China  and  Japan  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
even  to  the  coast  of  California. 

Professor  Daniel  Wilson,  and  many  another  distinguished 
scientist,  believes  that  in  prehistoric  ages,  before  the  northern 
steppes  of  Asia  were  peopled,  a wave  of  Asiatic  immigration 
crossed  by  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  to  the  west  coast  of  South 
America. 

Before  me  lie  relics  of  this  ancient  Chimu  civilization. 
On  the  pottery,  animals  and  birds  are  usually  depicted : fish, 
eels,  donkeys,  dogs,  leopards,  parrots,  owls,  and,  above  all, 
dragons  and  flying  creatures.  From  this  it  is  surmised  that 
the  Chiinus,  like  nearly  all  primitive  people,  adored  the  powers 
of  nature,  and  that  they  drew  a ci’ab,  fish,  or  turtle,  to  represent 
the  power  of  the  sea;  a serpent  or  lizard,  the  power  of  the 
earth ; and  a flying  man,  the  power  of  the  air. 

In  the  Andes  of  Southern  Peru,  near  the  shores  of  Lake 
Titicaca,  are  relics  of  a second  ancient  civilization  about 
which  we  know  absolutely  nothing.  There  we  see  an  immense 
temple  on  an  almost  deserted  plain,  but  can  find  no  trace  of 
the  people  who  once  worshipped  within  its  megalithic  walls. 

I have  seen  these  ruins,  which  Mr.  Squier  says  are  amongst 
the  oldest  known  to  mankind.  Passing  tlu’ough  a grey  world 
of  mountain  plains  and  cloud  peaks,  I noticed  strange  figures 
looming  through  the  mist.  What  ai’e  they  ? No  one  knows — 
for  these  colo.ssal  stone  idols  stand  silent  amidst  the  ruins  of 
their  deserted  sanctuaries ; and  few  are  the  scientists  who  have 
ever  visited  distant  Tiahuanuco,  or  endeavoured  to  decipher  the 
forgotten  religious  symboli.sm  of  its  monolithic  gateway,  whicli, 
as  Mr.  Squier  points  out,  is  as  unique  in  Peru  as  it  would  be 
in  Kensington  Gardens  or  New  York  Central  Park. 


Peruvian  Pottery 

These  pieces  of  pottery  were  lately  unearthed  from  the 
desert  of  Peru.  Surely  the  lower  vases  are  .suggestive  of  China, 
while  the  three  upper  remind  us  of  Egyptian  art. 

Do  these  relics  throw  light  upon  the  origin  of  the  Chimus  ? 


'3 


DESERTED  IDOLS 


15 


As  one  wanders  about  the  reedy  shores  of  Titicaca,  and 
gazes  at  her  monuments,  the  fascination  of  this  long-forgotten 
civilization  becomes  enthralling.  Did  these  people  who  left 
no  buildings  to  mark  their  existence,  with  the  exception  of 
one  vast  open  temple,  live  on  the  lake,  which  in  past  times 
evidently  covered  a large  part  of  the  Sierra  ? Is  the  Indian 
tribe  which  still  makes  its  home  in  balsas  or  reed  canoes, 
and  occupies  an  arm  of  Titicaca,  the  remnant  of  a nation 
which  long  ago  peopled  the  lake-country  ? Was  this  race 
related  to  that  which  the  Aztecs  found  when  they  set  up  their 
empire  on  islands  in  the  Mexican  mountain  lakes  ? Be  this  as 
it  may,  many  scientists  affirm  that  a race  from  the  north,  which 
had  come  by  Behring  Straits,  swept  down  to  South  America, 
leaving  traces  in  Mexico,  Central  America,  and  Peru. 

But  if  these  distant  eras  are  of  interest,  far  more  so  is  that 
into  which  they  merge — the  age  of  the  Incas.  A race  arose  in 
Peru  which,  by  means  of  its  superior  powers,  welded  together 
all  former  peoples,  and  so  absorbed  their  civilization  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  discover  the  condition  of  Peru  before  its 
advent.  The  origin  of  the  royal  family  which  boasted  the  title 
“ Inca”  is  lost  in  legendary  obscurity.  Until  the  fourteenth  and 
fifteenth  centuries  there  is  no  record  of  their  doings.  Then,  as 
we  shall  see  in  the  next  chapter,  they  commenced  to  form  an 
empire  called  Tahuantin  Suyo,  which  eventually  comprised  the 
territory  now  belonging  to  Ecuador,  Peru,  Bolivia,  Chili,  and 
even  parts  of  Brazil  and  the  Argentine. 

This  was  the  nation  which  the  Spanish  conquerors  met  when 
I they  discovered  Peru.  This  was  the  race  whose  descendants 
i still  people  the  mountain  plains  of  the  republic. 


SKETCH  MAP  OF  THE  PACIFIC  OCEAN 

(To  illtistrate  possible  Ro'utes  of  InTtmiaration  into  Amerira  from 


Chapter  III. — Children  of  the  Sun — 

1 

Sunset  on  Titicaca,  the  Toirthflacc  of  Peru’s  legends — A 
sun-myth  which  veils  the  origin  of  the  children  of  Inti — Our 
scepticism  concerning  the  Incas  and  what  came  of  it — How  six 
hundred  years  ago  an  experiment  was  made  in  socialism — An 
empire  which  would  have  stretched  from  Iceland  to  the  Sahara — 
All  that  remains  of  the  Children  of  the  Sun. 


2 


>7 


CHAPTER  III 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN 


Casting  white  lights  on  her  water  from  his  snowy  heard  and  hair, 
Gazing  down  into  her  depths  at  reflected  cloudlets  fair — 

Sorata  still  worships  the  grey  lake, 

With  her  fail’,  fading,  violet  sheen — 

Weeping  for  bygone  ages — whispering  of  years  that  have  been  ; 
Fascinating  and  fading ! 

Lake  of  the  days  that  are  gone  ! 

E are  gliding  over  a motionless  lake — beneath  a sapphire 


sky — past  hoary  mountains,  whose  mirrored  snows  like 
long  white  beards  float  upon  the  water. 

From  the  shore  of  Titicaca  sun-kissed  cornfields  are  noddinof 
to  their  golden  reflections  in  the  lake  ; only  a line  of  green  reeds 
divides  real  from  unreal.  And  while  the  last  long-slanting 
sun -rays  illumine  the  eastern  islands  and  touch  with  gold  the 
swinging  gulls  which  hover  by  their  shores,  a pale  half-sleeping 
moon  has  risen,  and  is  looking  down  with  dreamy  eyes  at  her 
likeness  in  the  water. 

Lake  Titicaca  is  the  birthplace  of  myth  and  legend,  and 
of  the  mighty  dynasty  of  Incas.  Strange  are  the  stories  told 
about  this  historic  spot:  it  is  said  that  when  men  were  cave- 
dwellers,  living  on  fruit,  wild  roots,  and  human  flesh,  and 
clothing  themselves  with  leaves,  bark,  or  skins, — Inti  the  Sun- 
god,  that  celestial  father  of  all  living  creatures,  sent  two  of 
his  own  children  to  educate  mankind.  These  divine  teachers, 
known  as  Manco  Capac  and  Mama  Ocllo,  rose  from  the  waters 
of  Titicaca,  and  brought  to  the  uncultured  hordes  living  on  the 


20 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN 


shores,  law  and  government,  marriage  and  moral  order,  tillage 
and  art  and  science^  Their  descendants  called  themselves  Incas, 
or  Children  of  the  Sun ; and  were  supposed  to  represent  to  the 
last  of  the  dynasty,  not  onl}'-  their  first  royal  ancestors,  but 
the  sun  and  moon,  that  celestial  father  and  mother,  of  whom 
these  were  evidently  personifications. 

Thus  we  find  that  the  chief  legend  of  the  origin  of  the 
Incas  does  not  differ  widely  from  the  sun-myths  of  Greek  or 
Aryan  sources.  But  what  of  the  historical  fact  which  it  veils  ? 
Did  the  Incas  originally  form  a tribe  which  gradually  gained 
ascendancy  over  neighbouring  peoples  until  it  reached  the 
dimensions  of  an  empire  ? Or  does  the  traditionary  Manco,  who 
set  up  his  throne  in  Cuzco  after  journeying  from  distant 
Titicaca,  represent  an  infusion  of  foreign  civilization  into  Peru  ? 
Such  problems  thronged  through  my  mind  as  I approached  the 
Isla  del  Sol,  a mountain-top  which  forms  an  island  in  the 
historic  lake.  Passing  its  bleak  shores  in  the  steamer,  one  of 
our  number  had  expressed  doubt  as  to  the  veracity  of  historians 
who  speak  of  the  gardens  of  the  Incas.  “ Why,  nothing  but 
barley  could  grow  on  these  windswept  shores  ! Not  even  maize, 
and  far  less  flowers  ! ” But  below  a spot  called  “ The  Garden  of 
Manco  Capac,”  our  scepticism  vani.shed.  Clear  green  water  ran 
into  a cove  of  white  stones  where  some  young  eucalyptus  trees 
were  orrowino;,  their  leaves  still  red  and  brown.  Above  the 
beach  was  built  a lai-ge  platform,  30  x 90  yards  in  extent, 
surrounded  by  an  old  Inca  wall,  ornamented  with  elaborate 
blank  windows.  Above  this  rose  terraces,  each  about  two  yards 
in  width,  encircling  the  hillside  to  its  veiy  summit.  We  made 
our  way  up  a flight  of  rough  stone  steps  by  a little  stream 
which  gurgled  and  .spla.shed  in  its  precipitous  descent.  Brilliant 
.sunshine  flooded  the  scene,  and  crept  through  the  mas.ses  of 
verdure  overhanging  our  path,  to  fall  care.ssingly  on  the  worn 
stones  which  formed  the  stair-way.  Greens  of  every  shade 
minofled  in  the  natural  arches  above  us ; vines  hung  their  cables 
1 Tylor,  Primitive  Culture,  vol.  i. 


AN  INCA  MUMMY. 

Many  historians  recount  stories  ot  slaves  buried  alive  in  the  land  of  the  Incas,  as  an 
offering  to  the  sun.  The  point  has  been  warmly  disputed.  'I  his  photo  of  a inuniniy, 
preserved  in  the  Lima  Museum,  has  an  interest  in  this  connection. 


THE  GOLDEN  WEDGE 


2 I 

from  tree  to  tree,  and  brilliant  vegetetion  trailed  from  each  terrace 
wall.  The  air  was  soft  and  mild,  and  scented  by  roses  and 
geraniums,  which  intertwined  in  fragrant  clusters.  The  pictur- 
esque steps  led  to  three  springs,  gushing  through  holes  cut  in 
a solid  stone  slab,  which  formed  one  side  of  a bath,  or  stone 
tank.  Around  it  ran  walls  of  perfectly  cut  stones,  and  below 
it  the  beautiful  garden  stretched.  Through  vine  cables  and 
shivering  eucalyptus  trees  we  could  see  the  deep  blue  of  the 
lake,  the  grey  of  distant  hills,  and,  beyond,  snow  peaks  piled 
high  upon  the  clouds,  their  bases  wreathed  in  white  and  their 
summits  lost  to  sight.  These  untrod  fields  of  snow  were  so 
brilliant  in  the  sunshine  that  they  made  the  purest  clouds 
appear  dark  and  soiled.  Only  while  gazing  upon  them  could 
we  realize  that  this  tropical  garden  was  situated  more  than 
three  times  as  high  as  any  mountain  in  the  British  Isles. 

After  four  centuries  of  neglect,  this  little  paradise  still 
remains  to  stimulate  our  belief  in  the  Incas’  great  works,  so 
many  of  which  have  completely  passed  away. 

A legend  says  that  Manco  Capac  was  commanded  to  make 
his  way  north  from  Titicaca,  and  to  establish  an  empire 
wherever  the  golden  wedge  which  he  carried  should,  of  its  own 
accord,  sink  into  the  ground  and  disappear. 

I too  have  followed  his  route  to  the  sheltered  valley  where 
the  miracle  is  said  to  have  occurred,  and  have  stood  in  the 
palaces  which  the  Children  of  the  Sun  built  for  themselves 
about  the  spot.  Many  historical  memories  come  back  to  one 
who  visits  Cuzco,  the  old-time  capital — thoughts  of  Inca  Roca, 
who  was  famous  as  the  founder  of  schools,  the  buildings  of 
which  stand  to-day ; of  Viracocha,  the  military  hero  of  the 
dynasty,  and  builder  of  Sachsahuaman,  the  gigantic  fortress 
which  still  guards  the  city;  of  Pachacutec,  the  Solomon  of 
Peru;  or  of  Tupac  Yupanqui,  the  general,  who,  in  his  conquest 
of  the  South,  led  a march  across  the  Chilian  Andes — a feat 
which  Markham  says  “ throws  the  achievements  of  Hannibal 


22 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN 


and  Napoleon  into  the  shade.”  One  walk  in  Cuzco  leads 
past  the  palace  of  Huayna  Capac,  the  sovereign  who  subdued 
the  kingdom  of  Quito,  and  marrying  one  of  its  princesses,  left 
a son  named  Atahualpa  who  could  not  legitimately  succeed  to  the 
throne,  but  was  destined  nevertheless  to  divide  the  mighty  empire 
of  the  Incas  with  Huascar,  the  rightful  heir,  and  thus  to  facilitate 
“ a conquest  that  not  even  the  apparition  of  horses  (previous 
to  the  Spanish  Conquest  unknown  in  Peru),  or  the  apparent 
control  of  thunder  and  lightning,  could  have  effected  other- 
wise.” 

Cuzco,  which  means  in  the  Indian  language  “ the  navel,” 
was  the  natural  centre  of  the  empire  which  was  known  as 
Tahuantin  Suyo.  Tahua  is  still  the  Indian  word  for  four; 
ntin  is  a plural  termination  ; and  suyo  means  province.  “ The 
Empire  of  the  Four  Provinces”  comprehended  an  eastern 
section,  which  stretched  down  towards  the  haunts  of  savages 
in  the  Amazon  plain ; a western,  which  consisted  of  the  many 
fertile  valleys  running  down  from  the  Andes  to  the  Pacific 
shore ; a northern,  which  included  Quito ; and  a southern, 
which  stretched  nearly  to  the  present  boundaries  of  Bolivia  and 
Chili. 

Had  Tahuantin  Suyo  been  in  Europe,  it  would  have 
included  Spain  and  Portugal,  Austria  - Hungary,  Norway 
and  Sweden,  Denmark,  Germany,  Switzerland,  and  France. 
It  would  have  stretched  from  Iceland’s  snows  to  the  Sahara 
Desert,  or,  to  use  an  American  comparison,  from  Alaska’s  frozen 
coast  to  the  shore  of  Lake  Superior.  It  was  “ an  empire  equal 
in  size  to  that  of  Hadrian,  exceeding  that  of  Charlemagne.” 

Each  province  was  placed  under  a viceroy  who  ruled  it  with 
the  help  of  various  councils,  and  who  was  himself  a member  of 
the  Inca’s  council  of  state  in  Cuzco,  where  he  was  obliged  to 
reside  during  part  of  his  tenure  of  office. 

Every  Inca  subject  was  called  upon  by  law  to  marry  at  a 
certain  age,  and  was  then  provided  with  a simple  home  by 
the  community  in  which  he  lived.  For  each  child  he  was 


ORGANIZED  SERFDOM 


23 

apportioned  an  additional  lot  of  land,  so  that  the  needs  of  a 
numerous  family  might  always  be  supplied. 

A large  portion  of  the  country  was  too  elevated  to  permit  of 
agriculture ; but  every  available  space  was  utilized,  barren  hill- 
sides being  elaborately  terraced,  that  where  nothing  could  grow 
on  the  natural  incline,  maize  might  be  coaxed  to  yield  crops  on 
narrow  artificial  ledges.  By  every  stream,  in  every  valley,  these 
andenes  may  to-day  be  seen,  confirming  the  estimate  of  the 
Spanish  chroniclers  that  the  ancient  population  was  very  large. 
Some  of  the  land  thus  cultivated  with  unique  economic  industry 
was  set  apart  as  the  property  of  the  Sun,  and  its  produce 
went  towards  the  maintenance  of  an  elaborate  religious  system, 
including  a priestly  tribe  and  numerous  monasteries.  Every 
citizen  of  the  empire  was  obliged  to  give  set  periodical  attention 
to  the  lands  of  the  Sun,  and  also  to  work  for  the  old,  sick, 
widows  and  orphans,  and  soldiers  in  actual  service.  Only  then 
was  he  permitted  to  work  for  himself,  after  which  he  joined  in 
cultivating  the  lands  of  the  ruling  Inca. 

The  divine  head  of  the  nation  was  looked  upon  as  both  god 
and  king.  His  power  was  absolute;  and  only  the  benign 
character  of  the  royal  family  prevented  this  despotism  from 
degenerating  into  tyranny.  The  people  who  lived  under  those 
Incas,  of  whom  we  have  hi.storic  information,  were  apparently 
happy  and  contented.  Undoubtedly  many  modern  social  evils 
were  avoided  by  the  regime  of  that  day,  but  at  what  awful 
cost ! Under  the  Incas  the  people  were  good  and  happy 
children — but  always  children.  They  were  never  allowed  to 
be  idle,  covetouSj  or  selfish ; but  they  were  also  prevented  from 
striving  in  any  way  to  better  their  position  or  to  exercise 
personal  initiative.  The  civilization  of  Tahuantin  Suyo  was 
only  “ a highly  organised  form  of  serfdom ; it  prevented 
progress,  both  social  and  religious — and  developed  not  patriot- 
ism, but  servile  adoration  of  the  Incas.” 

This  fatal  principle,  often  lost  sight  of  in  the  prosperity  of 
the  nation,  accounts  for  the  success  of  the  Spanish  Conquest. 


24 


CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN 


When  the  Inca  leaders  were  gone,  the  indigenes  were  unable 
to  make  any  adequate  stand  against  the  prowess  of  Spain. 
Apart  from  the  treacherous  means  which  the  conquerors  used, 
however,  to  secure  the  sacred  person  of  the  Inca,  they  would 
have  found  it  a difficult  and  perhaps  impossible  matter  to  enter 
the  mountain  strongholds  commanded  by  the  Children  of  the 
Sun. 

To-day,  the  only  remains  of  this  mighty  empire  are  two 
million  ignorant  Indians,  and  the  silent  crumbling  ruins  which 
strew  their  mountain  plains — streets,  palaces,  fortresses,  temples, 
roads,  inns,  aqueducts,  and  baths.  Only  close  study  can  produce 
any  idea  of  the  masterly  plan  of  these  ancient  fortifications,  of 
the  colossal  size  of  the  cyclopean  works,  of  the  complicated 
plans  of  the  religious  buildings. 

History,  romance,  and — alas  ! — tragedy,  strangely  mingle  in 
our  records  of  the  Incas.  To-day,  the  words  of  Whittier  are 
true  of  many  a monument  in  Peru — 

“ It  stands  before  a nation’s  sight 
A gravestone  over  buried  right.” 


PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

This  is  the  outer  aspect  of  the  concave  wall  which  was  once  lined  with  the  golden  imago 
of  the  sun.  How  poor  and  trashy  is  the  mud,  cane,  and  whitewash  of  the  modern 
balcony,  beside  the  enduring  monument  of  Inca  labour  ! 


Chapter  IV. — At  Inti’s  Shrine — 

My  adventures  on  the  island  of  the  Moon — A wonderful 
ruin  which  no  Englishwoman  had  ever  visited — “ The  Place  of 
Gold  ” — A curious  religioiis  practice  and  the  proverb  which  it 
recalls — A sad  contrast  of  past  and  present. 


*5 


CHAPTER  IV 


AT  INTI’S  SHRINE 

“ Quanrl  le  soleil,  le  pore  cle  Manco,  I’euvoya  fonder  cet  empire,  il  lui 
dit : Prends-moi  pour  exemple  : je  me  Ifeve,  et  ce  n’est  pas  pour  moi  ; je 
repands  ma  lumiire,  et  ce  n’est  pas  pour  moi ; je  remplis  ma  vaste  carriere  ; 
je  la  marque  par  mes  bienfaits  ; I’univers  en  jouit,  et  je  ne  me  reserve  que 
la  douceur  de  Ten  voir  jouir.  Va,  sois  beureux  si  tu  peux  I’etre  ; maissonge 
a faire  des  heureux.” — Marmontel.  , 

The  blue-gums  of  “ Coati,”  an  island  on  Titicaca  sacred  to  the 
moon,  stood  up  blackly  in  a grey  world.  Lake  and  sky 
seemed  to  be  worn  out  by  the  storm  which  had  been  raving  all 
night.  The  wavelets  were  icy  cold  when  I went  down  to  the 
white  pebble  strand,  and  the  wind  swept  chilly  round  the 
terraced  island  of  the  moon. 

“ Antiguedades  ? ” interrogated  a voice  which  was  evidently 
unaccustomed  to  the  soft  Castilian  tongue.  At  the  sound  of  that 
magic  word  I betokened  my  enthusiasm  as  best  I might  with 
gestures,  having  an  Indian  vocabulary  of  only  four  words,  none 
of  which  were  appropriate. 

“ Bring  them ! ” I urged,  and  the  old  Indian  turned  and 

hobbled  slowly  away  in  search  of  the  promised  curiosities.  He 

was  a strange  figure  to  English  eyes : weather-beaten  and 

wrinkled,  brown  and  sinewy.  He  wore  a curious  knitted  cap, 

a long  red  muffler,  a 'poncho,  or  coloured  blanket  used  as  an 

overcoat,  and  very  short  homespun  knickers,  not  supplemented 

by  anything  in  the  way  of  shoes  or  stockings.  He  was  an 

Indian  of  some  position,  however.  Was  he  not  in  charge  of  the 

bag  of  maize,  and  responsible  to  supply  meals  from  it  to  his  four 

27 


28 


AT  INTI’S  SHRINE 


seamen  ? Was  he  not  entrusted  with  the  little  sailing-boat,  and 
known  amongst  his  friends  as  “ The  Commander  ” ? Above  all, 
did  he  not  wear  beneath  his  poncho  a wonderful  red  waist- 
coat ? I was  unable  to  discover  anything  about  the  origin 
of  that  prized  garment,  owing  to  the  limitations  of  my  voca- 
Ijulary,  but  it  was  certainly  one  of  the  antigucdades  of  the 
island ! 

“Viracocha!”  The  well-known  address  announced  the  approach 
of  our  old  friend  and  several  women,  who,  with  a kind  of 
superstitious  awe,  produced  their  treasures : fragments  of  Inca 
pottery,  an  old  metal  hairpin,  a dainty  little  silver  spoon,  and — 
after  much  persuasion — a tiny  gold  image.  The  little  figure, 
only  an  inch  high,  lies  before  me  as  I write.  It  is  a prized 
relic,  for  antiquarians  to  whom  I have  shown  it  believe  it  to 
represent  one  of  the  Inca  maidens  whose  lives  were  dedicated  to 
the  service  of  the  moon ; and  as  the  Isla  del  Sol  is  far  from  the 
track  of  the  few  tourists  who  visit  Pei’u,  and  its  simple  inhabit- 
ants are  still  ignorant  of  the  art  of  manufacturing  antiquities, 
I can  vouch  that  the  image  was  dug  up  by  an  old  woman 
on  the  very  island  where  centuries  ago  the  virgins  of  the  sun 
and  moon  were  immured. 

I have  been  in  every  continent,  but  nowhere  have  I seen 
so  beautiful  a site  as  that  of  the  convent  w'here  these  maidens 
lived.  The  ruin  is  in  better  preservation  than  any  other  which 
I visited  in  Peru : its  large  open  court,  60  X 26  feet,  is  still 
surrounded  on  three  sides  by  chapels  and  cells ; the  bath,  once 
used  by  the  princesses,  is  in  good  preservation ; and  the  high 
walled  yard,  where  their  llamas  were  kept,  is  to-day  used 
for  much  the  same  purpose  as  it  was  four  hundred  years 
ago. 

Had  nature  built  the  island  about  the  palace-convent  it  could 
not  have  more  highly  favoured  it ; and  indeed  one  could  not 
say  whether  the  dell  in  the  island  hillside  was  natural  or  not. 
So  daring  were  the  Incas  that  they  would  not  have  shrunk 
from  the  task  of  hollowing  out  the  cliff  to  make  a suitable 


THE  ISLAND  OF  THE  MOON 


29 


resort  for  the  sacred  virgins.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  building 
nestles  beneath  the  brow  of  the  cliff  with  a rolling  hill  sheltering 
it  on  each  side.  Symmetrical  terraces  cover  the  whole  island, 
curving  in  broad  stretches  round  the  concave  coast,  so  that  from 
every  aspect  the  central  point  of  the  design  is  the  convent. 
Its  eastern  side  overlooks  the  lake,  to  which  one  descends  by 
three  terraces,  each  about  thirty  yards  in  width,  and  supported 
by  walls  of  perfectly  cut  stones.  Although  in  some  cases  a five- 
cornered  stone  was  fitted  into  the  structure,  I found  it  impossible 
to  insert  a penknife  into  the  joins. 

The  view  from  these  terraces  was  indescribably  beautiful ; 
the  pale  blue  glassy  surface  of  the  lake  stretched  out  to  the  east, 
where  snowfields  and  glaciers,  piled  in  magnificent  confusion, 
appeared  to  rise  out  of  its  motionless  waters ; the  cloud-masses 
about  the  peaks  of  Mt.  Sorata  were  roseate  in  the  light  of  the 
setting  sun,  which  tinted  the  still  water  with  ever-varying 
shades. 

This  was  one  of  the  centres  of  a worship  once  almost 
general  in  Peru.  True,  Inti  himself  and  his  queen,  the  Moon, 
were  usurpers ; for  it  appears  that  the  most  spiritually 
minded  Peruvians  from  farthest  antiquity  worshipped  the 
Supreme  Spirit  “ Pachacamac,”  ^ or  “ Creator  of  the  World.” 
But  the  Incas  made  sun-worship  the  State  religion,  and  their 
conquering  armies  enforced  it  on  peoples  living  far  and  wide. 
One  of  the  Children  of  the  Sun,  an  advanced  reformer,  attempted 
to  revive  the  older  and  purer  worship.  “ Is  not  the  sun 
himself,”  he  is  reported  to  have  said,  “ a beast  who  makes  a 
daily  round  under  the  eye  of  a master — an  arrow  which  must 
go  whither  it  is  sent,  not  whither  it  wishes  ? ” But  year  after 
year  the  worship  of  the  visible  god  extended  its  sway,  and 
thousands  of  pilgrims  trod  the  road  leading  over  the  rough  hills 
of  the  Isla  del  Sol,  and,  by  a longer  but  easier  route  than  the 
one  we  took,  reached  the  Shrine  of  Inti. 

’ In  modern  Kechua  pacha  signifies  “ world,”  and  camani  “ I create.” 


30 


AT  INTI’S  SHRINE 


Ours  was  a hard  two  hours’  walk  in  the  burning  heat  of  a 
tropical  sun : over  rocks,  along  Inca  terraces,  round  precipitous 
hillsides,  through  tangled  aloe-plantations,  over  hill-summits, 
along  the  arms  of  bays  which  ran  far  into  the  island,  past  sleepy 
little  villages  and  farms  nestling  among  the  terrace-walls  built 
many  hundreds  of  years  ago.  Never  did  a walk  of  twenty 
miles  in  Switzerland  seem  half  so  long  as  those  two  leagues ! 
Our  feet  had  no  level  or  firm  hold  all  the  way ; the  sun  was 
pitiless  and  there  was  no  shade.  We  were  climbing  along  a 
ridge  of  mountains  which  divides  the  island  from  end  to  end, 
and  were  often  three  times  as  high  as  Ben  Nevis,  or  the  highest 
passes  by  which  trans-continental  railways  cross  the  Rockies. 
Miles  of  irregular  coast-line  were  visible,  and  many  a cove  of 
sapphire  water.  At  first  the  steep  climbs  in  rarefied  air  took 
away  our  breath ; and  later,  when  we  became  somewhat 
accustomed  to  exertion  at  this  great  altitude,  terrible  thirst 
and  weariness  seized  us.  These  were,  for  the  time  being,  over- 
come by  our  joy  at  sighting  the  far  shore  of  the  island,  its 
strand  lapped  by  glittering  wavelets  and  basking  in  the  sun- 
shine. Below  us,  dark  against  the  azure,  stood  a mass  of  ruined 
walls.  We  had  reached  the  shrine  of  Inti  at  last ! 

The  chief  entrance  to  the  sanctuary  was  a wide  gateway 
surmounted  by  an  immense  stone  lintel.  It  faced  directly  east, 
and  formed  the  goal  of  the  ancient  road  from  the  far  end  of  the 
island.  Immediately  outside  this  entrance  was  a large  square 
of  desert  which  the  Indians  said  had  once  been  used  for  a bull- 
fight. But  we  there  saw  relics  of  days  which  antedated  the 
popularity  of  Spanish  sports.  Many  broken  pieces  of  pottery, 
which  might  have  been  Egyptian,  lay  about,  and  in  the  centre 
was  a great  flat  stone,  presumably  once  used  for  sacrifice.  On 
a rock -mound  eight  supports  had  been  placed,  and  upon  them  a 
giant  slab  of  rock  measuring  10x10x2  feet.  I thought  of  the 
altar  of  another  sacrificial  system,  where  otterings  were  made  in 
the  outer  court  of  the  sanctuary,  while  priests  performed  their 
rites  in  the  holy  place  within,  and  wondering,  passed  into  the 


TEMPLE  OF  THE  SUN 


(Island  on  Titicaca) 

/Road  to  Village  of  Cliclialla 
I’riiicipal  Entrance 


Exit  on  to 
terraces 
adjoining 
further  ruins 


The  Lake 


Scale  : | =4  feet. 

Illlllllllllllllillllllllin  Passages  (in  nearly  every  case  still  roofed). 

Walls  (in  mins — from  1 ft.  to  12  ft.  high)- 
Signs  of  ruins  (original  walls  destroyed). 


Study  the  plan  until  you  begin  to  imagine  something  of 
the  I'eligious  worship  for  which  this  temi)le  was  designed,  and 
to  wonder  if  the  powers  of  the  ancient  architects  of  sun-worship 
are  still  latent  in  the  Indians  of  Peru. 

31 


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m' ■' IP)T;^^‘ ^ '-••  ■•'  \-<i  } f;-v  WWJ 

vA',  ^ . v.i  . ■,  » .... 


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■'ia 


THE  PLACE  OF  GOLD 


33 


Temple  of  the  Sun.  Oh,  that  strange  building  ! That  mass  of 
walls  and  doorways ! That  mysterious  remnant  of  the  worship 
of  the  past ! Formerly  I had  only  been  inclined  to  credit  the 
Incas  with  very  simple  ideas  of  religion ; but  that  sanctuary 
was  built  by  a people  who  had  a highly  developed  religious 
system.  Even  the  plan  of  the  ruins  astonishes  one : such  a 
large  conception  ! such  an  involved  design  ! — a building  suited 
to  complicated  religious  ceremonialism  ! 

The  walls  were  of  sandstone  and  porphyry,  cut  in  irregular 
blocks,  and  varying  from  to  3 feet  in  width.  Some  were 
completely  ruined,  but  the  chief  parts  of  the  building  were  well 
preserved : the  entrance  hall,  26  feet  long,  leading  by  a second 
wide  doorway  into  the  great  central  hall,  30  x 33  feet ; the 
four  strange  little  corner  lobbies  connecting  this  open  court  with 
the  numerous  surrounding  cells  and  passages ; and  on  the  west 
a third  gateway  leading  down  to  the  lake,  whose  murmurs  filled 
the  evening  air.  I could  have  slept  and  seen  visions;  could 
have  wandered  through  the  old  temple  and  dreamed  dreams ; 
but  already  darkness  was  closing  down  and  the  Indians  were 
anxious  to  be  gone.  Never  shall  I forget  my  last  look  from 
the  mountain-side,  down  over  the  rocks  and  sand  to  Inti’s 
shrine.  The  mass  of  ruins  lay  still  and  dark ; but  beyond,  the 
god  of  the  forsaken  sanctuary  was  turning  the  lake  waters 
to  gold.  Distant  islands  flung  black  shadows  towards  us,  and 
to  the  south-west  Mt.  Sorata’s  snows  glowed  beneath  their 
cloudy  wreaths.  Then  we  turned  away  from  the  sinking  Sun- 
god,  and  walked  quickly  and  .silently  into  the  twilight.  Our 
thoughts  were  rebuilding  the  ruins  and  decking  their  walls 
and  niches  with  gold,  peopling  the  almost  deserted  island,  and 
recalling  the  days  when  thousands  of  pilgi’ims  worshipped  at 
Inti’s  shrine. 

Probably  the  richest  temple  of  Sun-worship  in  the  realm  of 
the  Incas  was  Coricaneha,  the  “ Place  of  Gold,”  which  once 
stood  in  the  square  now  occupied  by  the  church  and  convent 
3 


34 


AT  INTI’S  SHRINE 


of  Santo  Domingo  at  Cuzco.  None  of  the  subjects  of  Tahuantin 
Suyo  were  permitted  to  retain  any  gold ; and  indeed  they  had 
no  use  for  it  save  as  an  ornament,  for  they  were  provided  with 
all  the  necessaries  of  life  by  the  State.  The  precious  metal  was 
therefore  reserved  for  the  beautifying  of  royal  palaces,  and  the 
worship  of  Inti.  Since  the  gold  mines  of  the  country  were  rich, 
and  the  maximum  amount  of  labour  was  obtained  for  them  by 
a general  distribution  of  work,  cori,  as  the  Indians  still  call 
gold,  must  have  been  very  plentiful.  It  was  lavished  upon 
the  temple  in  Cuzco,  which,  according  to  the  accounts  of  the 
conquerors,  full  well  merited  its  name.  There  the  most  magni- 
ficent of  all  Inca  festivals,  the  feast  of  Raymi,  was  celebrated 
at  the  period  of  the  summer  solstice ; for  when  the  sun  reached 
the  southern  extremity  of  his  course,  and  commenced  to  retrace 
his  steps,  a joyful  people  gathered  in  the  squares  of  Cuzco  to 
welcome  their  lord. 

The  ancient  capital  is  full  of  memories  of  bygone  days.  One 
may  stand  where  the  gaily  apparelled  throng  awaited  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  sun-god,  and  listen  to  weird  strains  of  Indian 
music  not  unlike  those  which  greeted  his  rising  hundreds  of 
years  ago.  The  sand  of  the  square,  which,  it  is  said,  an  Inca 
ordered  to  be  brought  from  the  distant  Pacific  coast  by  certain 
unruly  Indians,  recently  made  tributaries ; the  ancient  blue 
walls  lining  narrow  straight  streets ; much  of  Cuzco  is  as  it 
was  then.  We  may  make  our  way  to  Coricancha  along  the 
road  followed  by  the  great  procession  of  Raymi,  and  stand 
where  it  waited  while  the  Inca,  shoeless  and  bareheaded, 
entered  the  temple.  The  western  side  of  Coricancha  is  said  to 
have  been  concave — indeed  part  of  the  curved  wall  still  re- 
mains— and  was  lined  within  by  a golden  image  of  the  sun. 
Before  this  were  placed  the  mummies  of  the  Inca’s  ancestors, 
each  on  a golden  throne.  There  also  was  the  Mosocnina,  the 
sacred  flame  which  ever  burnt  in  its  golden  casket,  tended  by 
the  virgins  of  the  sun ; and  there  was  the  Villac  Umu,  or  high 
priest,  who  was  next  in  rank  to  the  Inca  himself. 


A WALL  OF  " CORICANCHA.” 

This  young  Dominican  monk  is  a member  of  the  convent  which  now  occupies  tiie  site  of 
“ Coricancha,"  the  famous  temple  of  the  sun  in  Cuzco.  Dr.  Guinness  photographed  him 
standing  l>y  part  of  the  original  wall,  pointing  out  the  almost  invisible  junction  of  its  stones. 
Many  travellers  have  lauded  the  wonderful  stone-cutting  of  the  Incas,  but  no  photo  has. 
until  now  been  published  illustrative  of  their/««/  masonry. 


4 


THEN,  AND  NOW 


35 


Another  famous  festival  of  the  ancient  r(igime  was  known  as 
Sitna,  and  was  celebrated  at  the  end  of  the  wet  season,  when, 
as  all  dwellers  in  Cuzco  know  only  too  well,  sickness  is  very 
prevalent.  For  six  months  not  a drop  of  rain  falls;  and  the 
streets,  which  are  used  as  depositories  for  all  the  refuse  of  the 
city,  become  almost  impassable.  In  the  days  of  the  Incas  it 
was  cu.stomary  for  four  hundred  warriors  to  assemble  in  the 
great  square  of  Cuzco,  a hundred  facing  each  cardinal  point  of 
the  compass.  The  Inca  and  Villcic  Umu  then  came  forth  from 
the  temple  and  shouted,  “ Go  forth,  all  evils  ! ” Whereupon  the 
warriors  ran  towards  the  river,  and,  as  they  passed,  people  came 
to  their  doors,  and,  shaking  their  clothes,  cried : “ Let  the  evils 
go  forth  ! ” The  warriors,  and  later  that  evening  all  the  people, 
bathed  in  the  river,  and  supposed  that  the  sicknesses  of  which 
they  had  reminded  Inti  would  be  carried  down  to  the  sea  and 
never  seen  again.  A practical  English  lady,  whom  I was  telling 
about  the  antipathy  of  Peruvians  to  water,  remarked  that  it 
was  a pity  that  the  superstition  of  Sitva  was  not  still  popular, 
since  it  undoubtedly  encouraged  the  virtue  which  is  next  to 
godliness ! 

With  a last  wondering  look  at  the  monuments  of  this 
forgotten  religion,  we  say  with  Squier : “ Under  the  Incas 
there  was  a better  government,  better  protection  for  life, 
and  better  facilities  for  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  than  have 
existed  .since  the  Spanish  Conquest,  or  do  exist  to-day.  The 
material  prosperity  of  the  country  was  far  in  advance  of 
what  it  now  is.  There  were  greater  facilities  in  inter- 
course, a wider  agriculture,  less  pauperism  and  vice,  and — 
shall  I say  it? — a purer  and  more  useful  religion.” 

Shriue  of  great  Inti ! 

Shrine  of  the  sun-god  ! 

Thee,  Coricancha,  each  Inca  praises. 

Incense  supporting 

The  sacred  flame  ever — 

Red  glows  the  fire  ; the  gold  casket  blazes  ! 


AT  INTPS  SHRINE 


Shrine  of  great  Inti ! 

Hope  of  the  Incas ! 

Help  from  these  white  men,  cruel  and  lying ! 
Thy  virgins  are  gone  ; 

Thy  temple  is  plundered  ; 

Red  glow  the  coals,  but  smokeless  and  dying 

Look  ! Greatest  Inti ! 

See  ! Light  Eternal ! 

Rise,  Sun  of  Righteousness  ! Pity  ! Behold  ! 
A race  is  fallen ; 

A shrine  forsaken  ; 

Black  are  the  embers  — still,  lifeless,  and  cold 


Chapter  V. — The  Conquest  of  Peru — 

Hov)  I followed  the  route  of  those  who  discovered  Peru,  and 
like  them  found  mist  and  mosquitoes  instead  of  marvels  and 
mysteries — llie  crisis  of  Pizarro’s  fate — The  perfidy  of  a 
fanatical  moyik — A ransom  of  £3,000,000 — How  the  Inca 
escaqyed  burning  at  the  stake  by  kissing  a crucifix — Why  Cuzco 
was  laid  waste  at  the  hands  of  its  own  people — A hero's  death. 


37 


I 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU 

“ The  supreme  hours  unnoted  come  ; 

Unfelt,  the  turning  tides  of  doom.” — Whittier. 

Brave  men  were  the  Spanish  adventurers  who  risked  their 
all  in  the  search  for  El  Dorado,  the  land  of  gold,  which 
they  sometimes  feared  existed  only  in  their  dreams. 

As  we  lie  this  morning  in  the  Guayaquil  River,  I am 
thinking  of  Pizarro  — the  hero  and  villain  of  the  Conquest 
of  Peru.  We  are  following  the  route  of  his  first  voyage  of 
discovery.  The  low-lying  jungle  which  we  passed  in  leaving 
Panama  Bay  is  where  he  fix’st  camped,  near  the  Facnto  de 
Pinas  (Pine  Headland).  It  was  the  wet  season,  and  the 
adventurers’  eyes — greedy  for  gold — were  greeted  by  sights 
on  the  Biru  River,  such  as  surround  me.  The  clouds  have 
dropped  till  they  nearly  join  the  humid  mists  rising  from  the 
jungle ; the  hills  beyond  are  not  visible ; even  the  palms,  the 
native  huts,  and  high  grass  look  misty  through  the  rain.  We 
lie  between  a grey  sky  and  grey  sea — and  the  only  movements 
about  us  are  falling  rain,  steadily  dripping,  dripping ; debris 
drifting  down  to  the  ocean ; and  now  and  then  the  low  black 
form  of  a native  dug-out  .skimming  the  colourless  river. 

It  was  far  out  at  sea  that  we  passed  the  Puento  de  Hamhre 
(Port  Hunger)  of  memories  terrible.  There  Pizarro  and  his 
followers  waited  while  Montenegro  returned  for  provisions  to 
Panama.  I know  now  the  malaria-breathing  swamps,  the 
tangle  of  tropical  growth,  the  swarming -insect  world,  the 

39 


40 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU 


dismal  poisonous  atmosphere,  in  which  the  treasure  - seekers 
found  themselves.  Little  wonder  that  after  a contest  with 
the  natives  a little  farther  south,  they  saw  the  impossibility 
of  conquering  the  land  before  them  with  their  small  force, 
and  so  sadly  turned  again  towards  Panama,  thus  ending  the 
first  voyage  of  discovery  ! 

We  sighted  the  coast  of  Columbia  not  far  from  the 
Isle  of  Gallo  where  on  their  second  expedition  Pizarro  and 
his  men  suffered  so  terribly.  Their  enterprise  was  threatened 
with  absolute  failure.  The  army  being  inadequate  both  in 
numbers  and  equipment  to  attack  the  natives  of  the  coast, 
Almagro  had  returned  to  Panama  for  reinforcements,  while 
Pizarro  remained  with  his  desperate  and  starving  followers 
on  the  Isle  of  Gallo.  Nearly  all  spirit  of  adventure  had  been 
quenched  in  them  by  the  almost  superhuman  difficulties  of 
the  way ; and  when  two  vessels  arrived,  well  stored  with 
provisions,  the  starving  Spaniards’  only  thought  was  to  satisfy 
their  craving  for  food  and  then  leave  the  detested  isle  for 
ever.  But  Pizarro,  the  greatest  of  the  crusaders,  drawing  his 
sword,  traced  a line  with  it  on  the  sand  from  east  to  west; 
and  turning  towards  the  unexplored  El  Dorado : “ Friends  and 
comrades,”  he  said,  “ on  that  side  are  toil,  hunger,  nakedness, 
the  drenching  storm,  desertion,  and  death ; on  this  side  ease 
and  pleasure.  There  is  Peru  with  its  riches;  here,  Panama 
and  its  poverty.  Choose  each  man  what  best  becomes  a 
brave  Castilian.  For  my  part,  I go  to  the  south!”  And 
thirteen  faithful  comrades  stepped  with  him  over  the  line. 

So  inspiring  is  tlie  incident  that  tlie  historian  of  the  conquest 
exclaims : “ A handful  of  men,  without  food,  without  clothing, 
almost  without  arms,  without  knowledge  of  the  land  to  which 
tliey  were  bound,  were  here  left  on  a lonely  rock  in  the  ocean, 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  carrying  on  a crusade  against  a 
powerful  empire — staking  their  lives  on  its  success.  What  is 
there  in  the  legends  of  chivalry  that  surpasses  it?  That  was 
the  crisis  of  Pizarro’s  fate.  There  are  moments  in  the  lives 


“ LA  CHIOMO  D’  ORO  ” 41 

of  men  which,  as  they  are  seized  or  neglected,  decide  their 
future  destiny." 

Eight  years  had  passed  since  Pizarro  first  set  out  from 
Panama  to  seek  the  fabulous  empire  of  the  south.  The 
Spaniards  were  marching  from  their  camp  on  the  coast  across 
well-irrigated  and  luxurious  fruit  - bearing  coxmtry,  towards 
the  foot  of  the  Andean  battlements  of  Cajamarca,  a town 
where  the  Inca  was  said  to  be  stationed.  Embassies  from  the 
Indian  sovereign  had  visited  the  white  men,  who  received  of 
the  monarch’s  bounty,  sent  him  professions  of  friendship,  and 
advanced  to  meet  him  with  thoughts  of  perfidy. 

On  the  night  of  15th  Nov'ember  1532,  Pizarro  and  a 
hundred  of  his  followers  were  entertained  in  the  stronghold 
of  the  apparently  friendly  Inca.  Surrounded  by  Indian  troops, 
hemmed  in  by  mighty  mountains,  faced  by  the  unknown 
power  of  this  recently  discovered  empire,  their  position  was 
indeed  desperate ; and  the  Spanisli  leader  did  not  shrink  from 
a desperate  enterprise,  the  success  or  ruin  of  which  would  be 
the  crisis  of  his  fate. 

Tlie  sun  rose  brightly  on  the  morning  of  Ifitli  November 
— “ the  most  memorable  epoch  in  the  annals  of  Peru.”  The 
great  square  of  Cajamarca  was  thronged  with  Indians  who 
were  escorting  their  Inca  on  an  amicable  visit  to  the  strangers 
he  had  so  generously  received  on  the  preceding  evening. 
“ Elevated  high  above  his  vassals  came  the  Inca  Atahualpa, 
borne  on  a sedan  or  open  litter,  on  which  was  a sort  of  throne 
made  of  massive  gold  of  inestimable  value.  The  palan((uin 
was  lined  with  the  richly  coloured  plumes  of  tropical  birds, 
and  studded  with  shining  plates  of  gold  and  silver.  The 
monarch’s  attire  was  very  rich.  Round  his  neck  was  sus- 
pended a collar  of  emeralds  of  uncommon  size  and  brilliancj’. 
His  short  hair  was  decorated  with  golden  ornaments,  and  the 
imperial  diadem  encircled  his  temples.  The  bearing  of  the 
Inca  was  sedate  and  dignified ; and  from  his  lofty  station  he 


42 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU 


looked  down  on  the  multitudes  below  with  an  air  of  composure, 
like  one  accustomed  to  command.” 

Fray  Vicente  de  Valverde,  a Dominican  friar,  then  approached 
the  Inca  Atahualpa,  saying  that  he  came  by  order  of  his 
commander  to  expound  to  him  the  doctrines  of  the  true  faith, 
for  which  purpose  the  Spaniards  had  come  from  a great 
distance  to  his  country.  Whether  or  not  Atahualpa  possessed 
himself  of  every  link  in  the  curious  chain  of  argument  by 
which  the  monk  connected  Pizarro  with  St.  Peter,  there  is 
no  doubt  that  the  Inca  perfectly  comprehended  that  the  drift 
of  the  discourse  was  to  persuade  him  to  resign  his  sceptre  and 
acknowledge  the  supremacy  of  another. 

The  eyes  of  the  Indian  monarch  flashed  fire,  and  his  dark 
brow  grew  darker  as  he  replied : “ I will  be  no  man’s  tributary. 
I am  greater  than  any  prince  upon  earth.  For  my  faith,  I 
will  not  change  it.  Your  own  God,  as  you  say,  was  put  to 
death  by  the  very  men  whom  He  created.  But  mine,”  he 
concluded,  pointing  to  his  deity — then,  alas!  sinking  in  gloiy 
behind  the  mountains — “ my  God  still  lives  in  the  heavens  and 
looks  down  on  his  children  ! ” ^ 

Hurriedly  the  cruel  friar  retraced  his  steps  and  exclaimed 
to  Pizarro : “ Do  you  not  see  that  wliile  we  stand  here  wasting 
our  breath  in  talking  with  this  dog,  full  of  pride  as  he  is,  the 
fields  are  filling  with  Indians  ? Set  on  at  once ; I absolve 
you  I ” Pizarro  saw  that  the  hour  had  come.  He  waved  a 
white  scarf  in  the  air — an  appointed  signal — and  the  fatal 
gun  was  fired  from  the  fortress.  Then,  springing  into  the 
square,  the  Spanish  captain  and  his  folloAvers  shouted  the  old 
war-cry  of,  “St.  Jago,  and  at  them !” 

Trampled  under  tlie  fierce  chai’ge  of  cavalry,  panic-stricken, 
unarmed,  surrounded,  blinded  by  the  smoke  of  artillery  and 
muskets,  the  hapless  Indians  fell  by  thousands,  and  at  last 
even  the  furious  and  heroic  defence  of  the  royal  litter  ended, 
and  the  unhappy  monarch  was  taken. 

* Prescott,  Conquest  of  Peru. 


A DOMINICAN’S  DEED 


43 


“ Night,  more  pitiful  than  man,  at  length  threw  her  friendly- 
mantle  over  the  fugitives,  and  the  scattered  troops  of  Pizarro 
j rallied  once  more  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  in  the  bloody 
square  of  Cajaraarea.” 

The  historical  pages  which  follow  are  darkened  by  the 
record  of  fanatic  Christendom’s  greatest  perfidies, 
i “For  my  freedom  I will  fill  this  room  with  gold  as  high 
I as  I can  reach,”  said  Atahualpa.  The  empire  of  gold  was 
^ spoiled,  Coricancha  stripped  of  its  wealth,  and  the  astounding 
promise  fulfilled.  Then  Friar  Valverde,  that  evil  spirit  of  the 
Conquest,  realized  that  while  a monarch  thus  idolized  by  his 
people  lived,  the  Spaniards  could  never  rule  in  safety.  It  was 
the  hour  of  Pizarro’s  greatest  temptation,  and  from  it  dates 
his  fall.  Not  the  Crusader,  however,  but  the  Holy  Father 
signed  the  Inca’s  death-warrant.  Not  a Spanish  adventurer, 
but  a Roman  Catholic  monk  rendered  to  the  innocent  victim 
j that  for  ever  despicable  mercy  whereby  he  was  allowed  to 
meet  his  death  by  .strangling  instead  of  burning,  because  he 
I agreed  to  kiss  the  crucifix. 

j Atahualpa  is  slain  ! Panic  spread  at  the  news.  The  Inca  is 
! slain ! Strength  failed  at  the  word.  And  .so  the  conquerors 
swept  soutliwards,  sacking  palaces,  destroying  temples,  and 
scattering  havoc  and  desolation  as  they  went. 

As  I stood  amongst  the  ruins  on  the  hill  overlooking  Cuzco, 
i my  thoughts  were  of  the  days  when  the  ruthless  foreigners 
reached  that  ancient  capital — when  they  succeeded  in  wresting 
it  from  its  Indian  inhabitants,  and  survived  the  awful  sieg-e 
which  was  the  last  resistance  offered  to  them  by  the 
natives. 

The  moon  was  full,  and  in  its  white  light  the  snowy  peak 
of  Auzangati  appeared  like  a spectre  haunting  the  valley. 
Viewed  from  the  Inca’s  throne,  Sachsahuamtln,  the  grey  fortress, 
stood  out  weirdly  against  the  star-strewn  blue ; and  I knew  that 
at  the  foot  of  the  precipitous  cliff  beyond  it,  Cuzco’s  walls  were 


44 


CONQUEST  OF  PERU 


glistening  white  in  the  moonlight,  and  her  gum-trees  swaying, 
gaunt  and  dark. 

Wonderful  tiers  of  battlements  are  these ! Giant  rocks,  of 
weight  so  immense  that  men  say  they  were  hewn  where  they 
stand,  are  built  upon  with  rocks  as  huge,  their  many  strange- 
angled corners  accurately  fitted  by  adjoining  stones  of  enormous 
size  from  the  quariy  on  yonder  hill. 

Within  the  fortress  is  an  extensive  mound  where  formerly 
the  three  towers  of  Sachsahuaman  stood.  Time  has  seen  these 
thrown  down  and  their  builders  forgotten ; yet  as  he  looks  over 
the  grey  fortress  the  scene  has  not  much  changed  in  the  last 
six  centuries.  For  a moment  he  permits  us  to  gaze  through  the 
veil  of  years  and  see  the  city  as  it  was  in  1.533. 

Cuzco  lies  below  us ; but  not  the  Cuzco  we  have  known ! 
Its  long  straight  streets  are  dark  and  silent — their  stone  work 
and  smooth  cobbles  grey  in  the  moonlight ; an  amphitheatre 
rises  in  the  centre  of  the  great  plaza  (square)  and  all  around 
arc  large  stone  palaces,  their  thatched  roofs  bright  in  this 
strange  light.  Only  one  rises  above  the  other  low  buildings 
of  the  city : it  is  the  Inca’s  palace.  Far  from  the  foot  of  the 
hill  Cuzco  stretches,  and  amongst  all  its  buildings  the  most 
noticeable  is  the  magnificent  Temple  of  the  Sun,  and  the 
neighbouring  Convent  of  the  Virgins.  The  moonlight  casts 
black  shadows  from  their  walls  on  to  the  surrounding  plazas ; 
nothinof  moves  in  the  nigfht’s  stillness,  save  the  trees. 

Peaceful  is  the  sleeping  city ! Too  peaceful,  when  over  it 
hangs  so  cruel  a fate ! Yonder,  encamped  on  either  side  of  the 
great  northern  road,  are  Spanish  troops ; their  trumpets  and 
the  neighing  of  their  terrible  steeds  are  stilled ; their  brilliant 
banners  are  black  by  night.  And  Cuzco  sleeps — little  dreaming 
that  on  the  morrow  there  shall  enter  the  capital  of  Tahu- 
antin  Suyo,  conquerors  bearing  the  bloody  standai’d  of  the 
Cross. 

Gone  are  the  days  of  peace  and  plenty  for  the  Indian  of 


Fyotft  a fiko*ograph  hy\  A CYCLOPEAN  WONDER.  {the  Mis&iotuiyy  Studio,  Cusco, 

Oh,  the  fascination  of  these  mammoth  stones  ! How  was  the  stupendous  work  accomplished?  Did  the  Inca  achieve 
this  monumental  triumph  merely  by  just  distribution  of  labour,  or  was  the  warlike  Viracocha  something  of  a tyrant  ? 

Silence  upon  the  lichen-covered  fortress — silence  and  desolation  upon  the  distant  quarry.  This  is  the  only  answer  to 

our  eager  questions. 


f>  J 


m. 


r: 


I 


ML 


THE  TRAGIC  STORY  OF  CUZCO  45 

Peru ! His  Inca  has  been  murdered — his  Coricancha  has  been 
plundered — and  not  for  long  shall  Cuzco  remain  his  pride  ! 

Three  years  have  passed ; according  to  Spanish  reckoning 
the  date  is  1536  a.D.  It  is  spring,  and  a night  wind  passes 
over  the  young  barley,  rippling  it  into  waves.  Auzangati 
still  hovers  spectral  in  the  clouds  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
valley,  but  strange  is  the  scene  upon  which  she  looks ! Cuzco 
is  half  spoiled ; the  glittering  gold  band  has  been  torn  from 
Coricancha ; many  of  the  temples  are  ruined ; the  city  is 
barricaded.  From  the  hillsides  all  around,  watch-fires  flare 
through  the  night ; and  the  barley-fields  are  dark  with  a great 
sleeping  host,  which  surrounds  the  sacred  city  now  occupied 
by  the  conquerors.  The  lights  of  the  besiegers’  camps  are  in 
number  as  the  stars  of  heaven,  but  the  stillness  of  this  night 
is  the  deep-threatening  stillness  which  precedes  the  storm. 

Alas  for  Peru ! Her  spirit  is  not  yet  broken.  Alas  for  the 
loyal  followers  of  the  Inca  who  are  about  to  make  a last 
desperate  attempt  to  regain  possession  of  their  ancient  capital ! 
Is  the  process  which  has  carried  far  and  wide  the  conquering 
standard  of  the  Children  of  the  Sun  now  to  fail  ? What  shall 
the  coming  half-year  of  terrible  siege  mean  to  Cuzco  ? 

The  year  is  older  by  several  months ; harvests  are  over,  and 
the  dry  season  has  sunburnt  the  hillsides.  Surely  the  old  grey 
fortress  must  weep  to  look  on  such  a scene  as  this ; the  moon 
is  pale  and  ghostly  in  the  lurid  light  of  the  burning  town  below 
us ; Cuzco  is  a ruined  city ! Only  stones  and  ashes  remain  of 
her  former  glory.  See  the  red  glare  which  lights  the  midnight 
landscape ! See  the  dark  moving  hosts  on  the  surrounding 
hillsides ! See  the  deserted  streets,  strewn  with  stakes,  fallen 
barricades,  and  dead  bodies ! See  the  burning  palaces  of  the 
Incas ! See  the  Spanish  awnings  erected  in  the  plaza,  and  the 
gaunt  famine-stricken  faces  of  the  besieged — half  hopeless,  full 
of  consternation  in  the  lurid  light ! Is  this  thy  fate,  0 Cuzco  ? 


46 


THE  CONQUEST  OF  PERU 


Pride  of  the  Incas,  Sanctuary  of  Inti,  laid  waste  at  the  hands 
of  thine  own  children.  City  of  towers  and  temples,  of  palaces 
and  kings,  is  this  thine  end — to  burn  ov^er  the  heads  of  thy 
conquerors — their  trophy  and  their  tomb  ? 

“ Days  and  nights  are  passing  before  you  quickly ; this 
desolating  siege  has  lasted  six  months.”  Time  speaks — and 
our  eyes  follow  the  direction  of  his  hand.  The  flames  have 
done  their  work  in  Cuzco,  and  subsided ; half  the  city  is  in 
ruins — half-stricken  down  by  famine.  The  Indians  have  re- 
captured Sachsahuaman,  but  their  dark  ho.sts  are  thinner  on 
the  hillsides — famine  will  ovex’come  them  unless  the  maize- 
fields  are  planted. 

All  is  silence  and  sleep  in  Sachsahuaman,  until — hark ! A 
band  of  cavaliers  is  silently  making  its  way  up  the  ravine  which 
leads  from  Cuzco  along  the  west  of  the  fortress.  Indians  fight 
not  by  night ; so  the  Spaniards  approach  unnoticed,  and  their 
daring  enterprise  is  favoured  by  fortune.  Silently  they  have 
worked,  removing  the  great  stones  which  block  the  entrance 
gateway,  and  now  there  is  a sound  of  clanging  metal  in  the 
night’s  stillness ; swords  ring ; stones  fall ; cavalry  footsteps 
clatter  as  a rush  is  made  for  the  second  battlement. 

Ah,  the  Indians  are  aroused  at  last!  Yes,  let  the  horsemen 
halt ! Hear  the  shouts  of  the  Peruvian  warriors  as  they  swarm 
on  the  upper  battlement ! See  the  cloud  of  missiles — arrows, 
stones,  and  javelins — which  overwhelm  the  besiegers ! Their 
leader  is  wounded ; he  has  fallen  ; nevertheless,  from  the  ground 
he  urges  on  the  Spaniards ; — and  now  a breach  is  made,  and 
the  Indians  fall  back  in  disorder  to  the  terrace  around  the 
towers. 

Hear  their  shouts  as  with  ladders  they  scale  the  walls  I 
Surely  the  Spaniards  will  never  carry  the  day  while  that  Inca 
chieftain  lives ! See  how  his  copper-headed  mace  hurls  to  the 
ground  the  invaders  ere  they  can  reach  the  parapet ! His  dark 
athletic  form  stands  out  on  the  battlements. 

Were  succe.ssful  resistance  possible,  thou  wouldst  have  held 


A HERO’S  END 


47 


the  tower,  brave  Inca — but  numerous  ladders  have  been  planted 
against  it ; the  parapet  is  scaled ; the  defendants  are  out- 
numbered; and  for  thee — there  remains  only  a hero’s  end,  a 
Roman’s  death. 

Is  the  final  succumbing  of  Tahuantin  Suyo  signalised  in 
the  Inca’s  last  act  ? Does  the  nation’s  last  hope  perish  with  the 
death  of  this  brave  leader  ? One  further  victory  only  are  the 
Indians  to  gain ; then  the  besieging  hosts  are  destined  to  melt 
away,  the  last  representative  of  the  Incas  to  die,  the  last 
Indian  stronghold  to  fall,  and  the  country  to  become  the  spoil 
of  rapacious  conquerors — her  people  slaves  to  the  gold-dazzled 
adventurers  of  Spain. 

See  the  end ! The  Inca  springs  to  the  edge  of  the  battle- 
ments, casts  his  war-club  from  him,  wraps  about  him  his 
mantle — and  throws  himself  headlong  from  the  summit.  “ He 
has  struck  his  last  blow  for  the  freedom  of  his  country,  and 
he  scorns  to  outlive  her  honour.” 


Chapter  VI. — Westward  Ho  ! — 

Iberian  and  Inca — How  one  man  ruled  over  a realm  more 
extensive  than  Etiropc — Relies  of  the  days  when  English  pirates 
stole  the  gold  of  Peru  for  good  Queen  Bess — A trim  little 
square  of  memories  horrible. 


4 


49 


L 


CHAPTER  VI 


WESTWARD  HO! 

“ It  looks  gold  ! it  smells  of  gold,  as  I may  say,  by  a poetical  licence. 
Yea,  the  very  waves,  as  they  ripple  past  us,  sing  of  gold,  gold,  gold  ! ” 

Charles  Kingsley. 

IN  the  picture  gallery  of  Lima  hangs  a remarkable  picture  by 
the  Peruvian  artist  Monteros. 

Atahualpa  lies  dead  in  the  church  of  San  Francisco, 
Cajamarca.  With  great  solemnity,  his  funeral  obsequies  are 
being  performed  by  those  who  caused  his  murder.  The 
principal  cavaliers  and  the  troops  listen  with  devout  attention 
to  the  service  of  the  dead  from  the  lips  of  Father  Valverde. 

A sudden  disturbance,  the  sound  of  many  footsteps,  bitter 
wailing,  and  cries — and  the  beautiful  women  of  the  late  Inca’s 
harem  fill  the  aisles.  They  crowd  around  the  corpse,  crying 
shame  on  those  who  celebrate  the  obsequies  of  an  Inca  thus. 
They,  his  faithful  wives,  must  be  sacrificed  on  his  funeral 
pyre,  that  he  may  have  company  in  the  land  of  spirits  ! 

In  measured  words  the  scandalized  fathers  reprove  the 
lovely  women,  carelessly  baptize  the  infidels  with  holy  water, 
push  them  ruthlessly  from  the  body  of  him  whom  they  revere, 
and  watch  with  cold  hard  faces  the  clamour  of  the  cavaliers 
and  base-born  Spaniards  who  struggle  to  gain  possession  of 
the  fairest  of  the  Inca’s  wives.  Pizarro,  the  grey-bearded 
adventurer,  stands  alone  by  the  bier.  He,  too,  is  watching  the 
disgraceful  scene;  but  surely  his  eyes  are  looking  farther — 
on,  through  coming  ages,  to  the  lives  of  those  who  shall 
descend  from  the  unholy  unions  of  to-day. 


52 


WESTWARD  HOI 


All  the  elements  which  have  combined  to  form  Peruvian 
character  are  represented  in  the  picture : the  heartless  fanatic, 
who  sprinkles  the  holy  water  of  baptism  on  one  who  has  never 
heard  of  Christ;  the  young  priest  who  does  not  attempt  to 
conceal  his  interest  in  the  worldly  proceedings  in  spite  of  the 
neglect  of  the  religious  service ; the  base  soldiers ; the  haughty 
cavaliers ; the  lovely  heathen  women. 

What  does  Pizarro  see,  if  he  di’eams  of  the  race  which 
.shall  be  ? 

Side  by  side  they  developed — Iberian  and  Inca;  and  in 
the  antithesis  of  their  characteristics  lies  a key  to  the  history 
of  Peru.  The  Spaniard  was  a knight-errant — brave,  gallant, 
bigoted,  and  cruel.  A few  years  earlier  his  native  land  had 
been  a very  chaos  of  anarchy,  a nest  of  banditti  and  lawless 
nobles  under  the  rule  of  Henry  “the  Impotent.”  Now 
suddenly,  inspired  by  the  large  designs  of  wonderful  Queen 
Isabella,  Spain  had  waked  to  new  possibilities ; and,  leaving 
behind  the  sloth  and  licence  of  a barbarous  age,  had  taken 
the  first  place  amongst  the  nations  of  Europe.  The  activity 
formerly  spent  in  anarchy  was  now  devoted  to  discovery  and 
commerce.  On  sea  the  Spanish  frigates  and  galleons  led  the 
world ; and  we  stand  in  amazement  and  admiration  at  the 
heroism  of  those  who  dared  the  unknown  for  adventure’s 
reward  and  the  glory  of  their  native  land.  During  the  open- 
ing era  of  Spanish  rule  in  South  Ameinca,  Castilia’s  empire 
extended  over  three-quarters  of  the  globe ; and  no  wonder  if 
the  Spaniard,  dazzled  by  the  fortune  of  the  moment,  lived  in 
an  atmosphere  of  romance.  “ The  brilliant  destinies  to  which 
the  meanest  adventurer  was  often  called,  now  carving  out  with 
his  good  sword  some  El  Dorado  more  splendid  than  fancy  had 
dreamed  of,  and  now  overturning  some  old  barbaric  dynasty — 
were  full  as  extraordinary  as  the  wildest  chimeras  which 
Ariosto  ever  sang  or  Cervantes  satirized.” 

Thus  the  conquerors  of  Peru  appear  often  to  have  been 


IBERIAN  AND  INCA 


53 


governed  by  the  idea  rather  than  by  the  fact.  Thej'’  imagined 
themselves  Crusaders  battling  for  the  Cross  when  they  made 
havoc  amongst  an  industrious  and  innocent  people;  they  posed 
as  patrons  of  the  Church  when  they  built  monastic  piles  with 
the  wealth  amassed  by  means  of  slavery. 

The  Indians,  on  the  other  hand,  were  the  obedient  and 
docile  children  of  the  Inca — peaceable,  devout,  and  without 
ambition  or  initiative.  Remembering  their  former  rulers  with 
passionate  love  and  reverence,  they  yet  submitted  to  the 
foreign  yoke  with  surprising  grace ; and  would  have  served 
the  Spaniard  faithfully  and  well,  had  not  cruelty  made  their 
lot  unbearable  and  ai'oused  national  indignation  and,  finally, 
national  resistance. 

Such  were  the  two  classes  in  the  commonwealth  over 
which  the  Viceroy  ruled.  He  was  supreme  monarch  in  a 
realm  more  extensive  than  Europe.  Without  any  of  the 
facilities  of  modern  means  of  communication,  he  must  control 
a kingdom,  of  which  Buenos  Aires,  the  eastern  limit,  was 
3,000  miles  from  his  capital,  and  the  southernmost  town 
3,500  miles  from  Panama,  the  northern  limit  of  the  viceroyalty. 

In  that  long-ago  medimval  age  no  nation  had  commenced 
to  colonize ; j^et  in  the  New  World  Spanish  was  spoken 
through  a territory  equal  in  length  to  the  continent  of  Africa. 
In  India  we  have  learned  something  of  the  difficulty  of  deal- 
ing with  stubborn  mountain  tilbes,  who  hold  their  isolated 
strongholds  against  all  comers.  This  problem  the  Viceroy  of 
Peru  faced  nearly  four  hundred  years  ago.  On  the  Congo  we 
have  seen  the  results  which  naturally  follow  the  entrance  of 
avaricious  white  men  into  virgin  forests  where  heretofore  the 
savage  has  wandered  at  his  will.  This  also  was  a condition 
faced  by  the  ruler  of  Peru  when  England  had  not  as  yet 
claimed  a place  of  any  importance  amongst  the  Powers  of 
Europe.  In  the  far  north-west  of  Canada,  in  the  diamond 
district  of  South  Africa,  and  the  gold-fields  of  Victoria,  we 
have  proved  the  immense  difficulty  of  retaining  any  order 


54 


WESTWARD  HO! 


when  the  craze  for  wealth  comes  upon  men.  But  it  is  seldom 
realized  that  a mediaeval  power  attempted  to  rule  a continent 
where  all  these  conditions  combined  to  make  the  task  of 
stupendous  difficulty.  The  measure  of  the  success  which  Spain 
achieved — in  view  of  the  age,  sufficient  to  surprise  us — was 
due  not  so  much  to  laws  and  government  as  to  “ the  genius  of 
the  Spani.sh  nation,  a genius  which  has  been  be.st  interpreted 
by  the  author  of  Bon  Quixote.” 

In  Peru  there  were  thou.sands  of  mestizos  (half-breeds) 
who  belonged  to  the  stock  of  the  Pizarros,  Sotos,  or  other 
Spanish  families,  yet  retained  the  title  “ Inca,”  which  they  had 
inherited  from  the  noble  Indian  wives  of  their  predecessors. 
The  education  of  this  young  nation  became  a matter  of  first 
importance,  and  the  Church  gave  it  willing  attention.  When 
I visited  the  famous  librarian  and  author  of  Lima,  Dr.  Ricardo 
Palma,  I stood  in  a large  courtyard  surrounded  by  a gallery 
borne  up  on  ancient  pillars,  where  nearly  four  hundred  years 
ago  the  young  nobles  of  Peru  were  ti-ained.  Tlie  University 
of  St.  Mark,  where  to-day  hundreds  of  republicans  are  educated, 
was  founded  long  before  the  first  cottage  was  built  on  the 
site  of  New  York.  In  Cuzco  I have  seen  the  school  where 
the  famous  Inca  historian,  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  learnt  Latin 
and  Arithmetic,  while  Ascombe  was  still  teaching  Greek  to  the 
future  Queen  Elizabeth. 

Lima,  the  city  founded  by  the  greatest  of  the  conqxdstadores 
(conquerors),  still  retains  relics  of  the  early  days  when  it  was 
queen  of  the  Spanish  Main.  We  may  stand  in  the  House  of 
the  Viceroys  and  dream  of  that  golden  age.  Above  us  is  an 
overhanging  balcony  of  magnificently  carved  wood ; the 
arches  leading  into  the  inner  courtyard  are  of  carved  stone : 
the  iron  work  about  us  is  of  ancient  design ; and  the  cool  of 
this  quiet  courtyard,  with  its  fountain  and  ancient  palm.s, 
reminds  us  of  scenes  from  Moorish  tales.  From  one  wall 
protrudes  a lion’s  head  of  stone,  and  from  his  mouth  hangs 
an  iron  ring  on  which  silver  ore,  brought  in  tons  from  the 


THE  GOLD  PLAGUE 


55 


mountains,  used  to  be  weighed.  Those  were  days  of  fabulous 
riches,  when  merchant-adventurers  from  all  the  lands  of 
Europe  were  to  be  met  in  the  new-found  El  Dorado,  spending 
their  lives  in  the  amassment  and  display  of  wealth,  and 
showing  but  little  consideration  for  the  moral  laws  of  God 
or  man. 

Gold,  dazzling  gold, — gold  which  would  buy  an  Alhambra 
in  the  homeland ; gold  which  would  equip  a fleet  of  merchant 
vessels ; gold  which  would  secure  influence  at  the  Spanish 
Court ; gold  was  the  god  of  Peru  ! And  alas, — though  the 
country  did  not  realize  it — gold  was  its  evil  genius ! On  the 
bleak,  lonely  pampas  (elevated,  uncultivated  plains),  where  I 
have  often  stood,  may  be  seen  the  mines  which  made  the  land 
of  the  Incas  famous  all  over  the  world.  Frozen  moorland 
stretches  around ; the  altitude  is  so  great  that  travellers  suffer 
severely  from  sorroche,  or  mountain-sickness;  no  living  creature 
but  the  condor  visits  the  height ; yet  here  men  flocked  by  the 
thousand  in  search  for  gold.  Here — where  everything  but 
silver  and  human  life  was  dear — while  helpless  Indians  were 
driven  down  into  the  mines,  were  enslaved  and  too  often 
worked  to  death,  fortunes  were  amassed  which  made  Spain 
the  richest  country  in  the  world,  and  the  merchants  of  Peru 
the  millionaires  of  the  Middle  Ages.  While  vice  and  slavery 
were  uncontrollable  in  the  mountains,  corruption  spread  in 
Lima.  Even  during  the  fir.st  century  of  Spanish  rule,  sin  was 
so  gross  that  the  missionary  monk,  Francisco  de  Solario,  rushed 
into  the  streets  of  the  capital  and  tragically  proclaimed  its 
destruction,  winning,  like  Jonah,  a sudden  but  tramsitory 
repentance.^ 

Struggle  as  she  might,  Spain  failed  to  reduce  this  colony  to 
order ; but  evil  was  restrained,  civil  wars  gradually  stamped 
out,  and  the  natives  protected  from  complete  annihilation.  The 
viceroyalty  was  divided  into  about  fifty  departments,  each  of 
which  was  put  under  a governor.  Towns  were  controlled  by  a 
^ Hubert  W.  Brown,  Latin  America. 


56 


WESTWARD  HO! 


municipality  consisting  of  a judge  and  several  magistrates,  and 
such  laws  were  drawn  up  as  would  have  ensured  peace  and 
prosperity,  could  they  have  been  enforced.  But  too  often  on 
land  and  sea  men  found  them.selves  beyond  the  reach  of 
authority. 

Spain  claimed  the  monopoly  of  trade  with  Peru,  and 
consequently  tlie  Pacific  was  the  scene  of  many  a lawless  fight. 
The  famous  Buccaneers  had  cleared  the  West  Indies  of  spoil, 
and  were  now  harrying  the  ports  of  the  land  of  the  Incas, 
carrying  off  cargoes  of  gold  and  silver,  and  stealing  the  precious 
freights  intended  for  the  monarch  of  Seville.  The  ocean  was 
ruled  by  these  sea-dogs : English  and  French  and  Dutch.  The 
Viceroy  found  himself  isolated  from  the  mother-country,  his 
supplies  cut  off,  and  his  monopolies  rendered  valueless.  As  we 
steam  over  the  bluest  of  oceans  in  a modern  floating  palace,  the 
days  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  seem  strangely  distant.  Many  a 
sail  white  against  the  blue,  strange  figureheads  on  the  prow, 
and  tiers  of  oars  where  desperate  men  sit  chained,  perchance 
English  or  Spanish  gentlemen  doomed  to  life  on  a galleon  by 
the  pitiless  Inquisition  of  Spain — the  phantom  crosses  our 
vision,  and  is  lost  ao-ain  in  the  inten.se  blue  of  ocean  and 
sky. 

The  immense  difficulties  of  exercising  any  control  in  this 
rich  and  lawless  land  were  in  part  overcome  by  religious 
restraint.  The  Church  in  South  America  was  an  auxiliary 
branch  of  the  Government;  and  when  in  1569  the  Inquisition 
was  established  in  Lima,  it  was  utilized  “ to  supervise  conduct 
and  also  to  exclude  strangers.” 

All  Indians,  as  catechumens,  were  exempted  from  its  juris- 
diction ; but  any  foreigner  or  native  of  European  extraction 
was  liable  to  be  punished  by  confiscation,  the  galleys,  flogging, 
hanging,  or  burning. 

The  number  of  victims  could  not  well  be  so  great  as  in  the 
Old  World,  because  South  America  was  a fresh  convert.  In 
Peru  there  were  no  heretics,  but  there  were  those  who  had 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  INQUISITION  57 

received  the  ransom  paid  for  Atahualpa,  and  thrown  dice  for 
the  immense  golden  sun  of  Coricancha. 

I stood  in  the  plaza  where  were  burned  at  one  famous  auto- 
de-fi  twelve  Portuguese  merchants,  who  by  a cuidous  coincidence 
were  the  richest  men  in  Lima.  But  they  had  threatened  to 
monopolize  the  retail  trade  of  the  city,  and  in  those  terrible 
days  any  excuse  was  sufficient  to  deliver  a man  to  the  Holy 
Inquisition.  Later  on,  two  of  the  Inquisitors  were  removed 
from  their  posts  as  being  thieves,  and  their  property  confiscated 
to  compensate  the  Holy  Office  for  their  robberies. 

I have  visited  the  trim  little  square,  which,  despite  its  flowers 
and  orange-trees,  is  full  of  horrible  memories;  for  although 
many  an  effort  has  been  made  to  destroy  relics  of  the  past, 
the  old  name  still  clings  to  it,  and  even  the  public-house  at 
the  corner  is  called  CJdcharia  de  la  Inquisicion.  Beneath  the 
marble  block  whereon  I was  seated  were  the  horrible  cells 
where  the  victims  of  Rome  Were  incarcerated  “ in  dark  vaults, 
without  light,  without  air,  damp,  and  swarming  with  vermin.” 

Before  me  was  the  Incpiisition  building,  from  which  they 
were  led  down  a winding  staircase  to  the  subterranean  hall  of 
torments,  where  formerly,  in  the  pale  and  tremulous  light  of 
two  candles,  loomed  the  frightful  apparatus  of  the  Holy 
Inquisition — the  rack,  the  scourge,  the  wheel,  the  lighted 
braziers  for  the  feet,  the  screws  for  the  hand,  and  many  other 
diabolical  inventions. 

In  the  chamber  of  the  Inquisitors  I gazed  about  me  with 
awe.  The  magnificent  mahogany  table  which  I had  seen  in 
the  Museum  of  Lima  once  stood  below  the  carved  beams  of  this 
dark  ceiling.  The  crucifix  still  preserved  in  the  same  collection 
once  condemned  criminals  by  a movement  on  its  hinges  in  this 
very  room.  Surely  the  spirits  of  the  ecclesiastics,  whose 
gorgeous  portraits  line  the  walls,  haunt  the  chamber ! Once 
again  I see  the  Inquisitors  seated  beneath  a canopy  of  silk  and 
velvet — great  green  tapers  set  up  on  the  ancient  table  where 
lies  the  charge  against  Francisco  Moyen,  and  many  another 


58 


WESTWARD  HO! 


innocent  victim.  There  are  the  head  gaoler  in  his  gold- 
embroidered  uniform,  the  many  officers  of  the  Secret  Court, 
the  familiars,  the  notaries,  the  acolytes,  and  the  ghastly  black- 
robed  executioners  of  the  torture. 

The  greater  proportion  of  those  who  perished  in  the  historic 
plaza  were  not  condemned  for  any  serious  charge  whatsoever. 
They  were  women,  and  even  little  girls,  accused  of  witchcraft, 
and  for  such  an  offence  were  burnt  at  the  stake.  Thus  during 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  suspicion  and  intrigue  were  multi- 
plied, freedom  of  thought  ceased  to  exist,  and  greatness  of 
character  was  largely  destroyed. 


Chapter  VII. — Papist  and  Pagan — 

What  the  Emperor  of  Spain  sent  to  the  Inca  Indians — 
How  a pacjan  nation  was  converted  en  masse — A holy  bishop 
who  laid  doion  his  life  for  the  good  of  Peru — The  last  of  the 
glorious  Inca  dynasty — A noble  rebel  and  his  barbarous  vnirder. 


59 


CHAPTER  VII 


PAPIST  AND  PAGAN 

“A  voice  oppression  cannot  kill 
Speaks  from  the  crumbling  arches  still.” — Whittiek. 

TT AVE  you  ever  come  to  a moment  when  you  have  been 
J-X  constrained  to  say : “ It  was  for  this  I waited  ” ? Have 
you  ever  looked  upon  a sight  and  said : “ It  was  of  this  I 
dreamed,  but  ever  as  the  vision  of  a dream  it  faded  ” ? 

So  it  is  sometimes — is  with  me  now  ! 

Sunshine,  the  whispering  of  wind  in  the  barley,  the  ming- 
ling yellows  of  calceolaria  and  mustard,  the  young  red-brown 
spikes  of  cactus,  the  rich-coloured  ploughed  fields,  the  cloud -cast 
shadows  on  smooth  green  hills — all  these  yoii  too  have  elsewhere 
seen  and  heard.  But  I am  now  standing  in  the  heart  of  the 
mighty  Andes,  on  the  rocky  heights  of  Sta.  Ana,  overlooking 
the  City  of  the  Sun.  Before  me  stretches  an  old-world  valley 
which  centuries  ago  was  the  cradle  of  one  of  the  most  marvel- 
lous races  that  has  ever  risen  and  fallen ; where,  in  long  past 
ages,  a civilization,  only  paralleled  in  wonder-breeding  Egypt, 
developed  and  decayed. 

Like  a beautiful  .sea-anemone  clinging  to  the  rocky  edge  of 
some  ocean-green  pool,  Cuzco,  with  pink  roof  and  sun-washed 
wall,  lies  beneath  Sta.  Ana,  lapped  by  the  green  of  the  wind- 
swept grain  that  fills  the  valley  beyond. 

This  view  of  the  City  of  Gold  is  hi.storic;  every  Indian  who 
passes  the  spot  stops  to  raise  his  hat  and  look  down  into  the 
valley,  as  his  ancestors  have  done  for  ages — for  here  the  traveller 


62 


PAPIST  AND  PAGAN 


obtains  his  first  glimpse  of  Cuzco.  In  the  time  of  the  Incas, 
those  journeying  to  the  southern  capital  of  Tahuantin  Suyo 
stood  at  this  bend  of  the  road  to  gaze  for  the  first  time  on  the 
wonderful  Temple  of  the  Sun — Coricancha,  Mecca  of  the  Indians. 
Later,  when  the  golden  sun  had  been  torn  from  its  place,  when 
the  sacred  fii’e  tended  by  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun  was  extinguished 
and  the  priests  had  fled,  the  subjects  of  the  fallen  empire  gazed 
down  at  the  Spanish  cathedral,  and  with  broken  - hearted 
thoughts  of  the  days  that  were  gone,  rendered  forced  homage 
to  their  new  god. 

The  Incas  and  Sun-worship  fell  together;  for  to  the  mind  of 
the  Indian,  the  conqueror  and  his  gods  were  inseparable.  So  it 
came  to  pass  that  they  regai'ded  “ conversion  ” as  an  inevitable 
sequel  to  concjuest. 

But  bittei',  bitter  was  it  to  bow  to  the  god  of  the  Spaniards 
while  Inti  cast  his  last  sunset  rays  over  the  land  of  his  former 
glory. 

Emperor  Charles  V.  was  jealous  for  the  Church,  conscious 
that  its  far-reaching  arms  would  strengthen  his  own  extensive 
kingdom.  Accordingly,  he  set  his  stamp  upon  the  land  of 
gold  which  Pizarro  had  lately  added  to  the  Spanish  Crown,  by 
welcoming  the  Indians  of  Peru  into  the  true  faith,  and  sending 
them  from  Spain  a magnificent  image  of  the  crucifixion.  Per- 
haps this  act  more  than  any  other  made  the  conquered  nation 
resigned  to  its  fate.  From  the  first  this  image  was  the  especial 
god  of  the  Indians ; and,  deprived  of  their  former  deities,  they 
received  it  with  peculiar  reverence  and  adoration. 

The  miraculous  powers  of  “ Our  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes,” 
as  the  image  came  to  be  called,  were  comprehensible  to  the  mind 
of  the  poor  Indian ; but  he  understood  practically  nothing  of 
Christianity.  With  all  his  townsfolk,  he  had  been  driven  into 
a chnrch ; one  of  the  mneh-feared  priests  of  the  white  man’s 
religion  had  sprinkled  water  on  them,  and  demanded  in  payment 
for  this  rite  their  money  and  even  their  clothes ; they  had  re- 


CONVERSION  EN  MASSE 


63 


ceived  a new  name,  which  was  now  common  to  nearly  every  one 
in  the  village.  “ Conversion  ” was  thus  complete.  But  for  those 
who  attempted  to  secrete  symbols  of  their  former  deities,  or  who 
clung  to  sun-worship,  the  Dominicans  had  no  mercy.  I myself 
have  seen  Roman  Catholic  churches  whose  foundations  are  of 
idols;  and  cathedrals,  the  stones  of  which  were  once  part  of 
Inca  palaces.  Coricancha  is  to-day  transformed  into  a monastery 
of  Santo  Domingo,  and  the  neighbouring  Palace  of  the  Virgins 
into  a convent  of  Santa  Catalina.  The  Indians  were  obliged  to 
give  gratuitous  service  in  the  construction  of  these  magnificent 
buildings,  and  were  driven  to  the  work  in  relays  of  5,000  men. 

In  spite  of  their  ruthless  extermination  of  idolatry,  their 
neglect  of  missionary  methods  of  instruction,  and  their  oppres- 
sion of  the  Indians  for  the  outward  glorification  of  the  Church, 
we  gladly  grant  that  the  priests,  by  reducing  Kechua  to  writing, 
and  printing  catechisms,  lexicons,  and  grammars,  rendered  a 
lasting  service  to  Peru. 

Badly  indeed  would  the  Indians  have  fared  had  there  not 
been  nobler  spirits  among  these  ecclesiastics.  When  the  un- 
fortunate descendants  of  the  Children  of  the  Sun  were  being 
bought  :and  sold  with  the  land,  and  were  suftering  all  the  out- 
rages of  slavery.  Las  Casas  raised  his  voice  on  their  behalf,  and 
Charles  V.  endeavoured  to  do  away  with  the  abuses.  But  many 
of  the  monks  appear  to  have  possessed  the  fiery  zeal  of  the 
crusader  rather  than  the  patient  love  of  a missionary ; they 
even  justified  the  cruel  oppression  of  the  Indian  by  main- 
taining that  the  natives  did  not  possess  souls,  and  might  be 
treated  as  beasts  of  burden. 

A Bull  of  Paul  III.,  however,  declared  that  “ the  said  Indians 
and  all  other  peoples  who  hereafter  shall  be  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  Catholics,  although  they  may  be  without  the  faith 
of  Jesus  Christ,  in  nowise  are  they  to  be  deprived  of  their 
liberty  and  of  the  control  of  their  goods,  in  nowise  are  they  to 
be  made  slaves.  . . . We  also  determine  and  declare  that  the 
said  Indians  and  other  similar  peoples  are  to  be  called  to  the 


64 


PAPIST  AND  PAGAN 


faith  of  Jesus  Christ  by  preaching  and  by  the  example  of  a 
good  and  holy  life.”  ^ 

A few  pious  men  like  the  good  Bishop  San  Toribio  carried 
out  these  instructions.  Toiling  on  foot  over  burning  desert 
sands  and  snowy  mountain  plains,  he  spent  his  time  visiting  the 
monasteries  and  churches  of  the  towns,  and  instructing,  cate- 
chising, and  administering  the  sacraments  at  wayside  huts. 
Finally,  he  laid  down  his  life  in  the  service  of  the  Indians,  and  ^ 
was  buried  on  the  desert  coast  of  the  land  of  the  Incas. 

Corruption  and  cruelty,  however,  characterized  the  priest- 
hood in  general.  Of  their  disgraceful  regime  a well-known 
historian  says : “ The  rule  of  celibacy  was  generally  avoided ; 
religious  duties  were  hurried  through,  and  the  instruction  of 
the  Indians  reduced  to  an  absurdity.  Amidst  general  immorality 
in  the  towns,  the  regulars  set  the  worst  example,  making  their 
monasteries  places  of  licence  and  pleasure.  The  clergy  were 
recruited  from  two  sources : some  were  the  outcasts  of  Spanish 
parishes  and  monasteries ; others  were  Mestizos,  either  idle  or 
dissolute  men,  driven  by  disgrace  and  want  to  take  orders  ; or  else 
men  put  into  religion  by  their  parents  with  a view  to  getting 
an  Indian  parish  and  making  a fortune  out  of  these  helpless 
people.” 

An  avaricious  priest  planned  the  expedition  which  led  to 
the  discoveiy  of  Peru  ; a priest  urged  the  murder  of  Atahualpa; 
and,  with  very  few  exceptions,  the  priesthood  has  throughout 
the  ages  been  a curse  instead  of  a blessing  to  the  land. 

As  the  last  of  the  conquerors  lay  dying,  his  evil  deeds  rose 
up  before  him  as  a barrier  into  heaven ; and  thinking  to  make 
atonement  for  the  past,  he  confessed  with  his  last  breath  some 
of  the  wrongs  to  which  the  Indians  had  been  subjected.  “ The 
Incas  instilled  into  the  minds  of  their  people  the  following 
precepts,”  he  said:  Aina  quilla  (be  not  indolent);  Aina  sua 

(be  not  a thief) ; Ama  llulla  (be  not  a liar) ; and  as  a people 
' Hubert  W.  Brown,  Latin  America. 


THE  PLACE  OF  GOLD  TRANSFORMED. 

The  Abbot  of  Santo  Domingo  stands  looking  down  into  the  quiet  patio  of  his  monastery. 
A yard  iiehind  him  is  the  Inca  wall  which  appeared  in  a former  illustration. 


THE  VICEROY’S  VICTIMS  65 

they  were  neither  indolent  nor  dishonest  until  the  conquistadores 
corrupted  them.” 

Thus  we  see  that  during  the  lifetime  of  the  first  generation 
of  Iberians  in  Peru,  the  degeneration  of  the  Incas  had  begun. 

It  was  in  tlie  year  1571,  and  Cuzco  was  thronged  on  the 
occasion  of  the  christening  of  an  Indian  noble.  Often,  standing 
on  the  terrace  of  the  Colcampata,  an  Inca  palace  overlooking 
the  historic  town,  I have  pictured  the  gaily  clothed  throng  of 
happy  Children  of  the  Sun  who  gathered  there,  and  amongst 
them  the  tall  black  figure  and  sinister  mien  of  the  Viceroy, 
which  might  well  have  been  regarded  as  an  ill  omen  for  the 
future  of  the  people.  Even  the  nephews  of  Atahualpa,  whom 
the  Indians  still  worshipped  secretly  as  the  true  lords  of  the 
land,  were  at  the  feast ; and  when  they  returned  to  their  old 
father  in  his  last  retreat,  spies  from  the  cunning  Viceroy 
followed  them.  At  the  isolated  fortress  this  priestly  embassy 
was  graciously  received,  but  during  their  visit  the  elder  of  the 
two  Inca  princes  fell  ill  and  died.  Overcome  with  sorrow  at 
the  loss  of  their  loved  master,  and  indignant  at  the  priests  who 
had  been  his  guests  because,  while  they  boasted  their  god  to  be 
the  greatest  in  the  world,  they  had  failed  to  secure  his  help  for 
the  dying  youth,  an  insurrection  arose,  and  one  of  the  priests 
was  killed.  This  was  the  Viceroy’s  opportunity,  and  he  was 
pitiless  in  embracing  it.  War  was  organized  against  the 
Indians ; and  Inca  Tupac  Amaru,  the  younger  brother  of  the 
dead  prince,  in  spite  of  his  ignorance  of  the  murder  of  the 
Spanish  priest,  was  captured  and  condemned  to  be  beheaded. 
The  cruel  sentence  was  about  to  be  carried  out  in  the  great 
square  of  Cuzco,  when  a mighty  wail  arose  from  the  gathered 
multitudes ; and  the  despair  of  the  fallen  Indians  and  the 
innocence  of  their  young  leader  so  moved  the  hearts  of  the 
conquerors,  that  the  executioner  was  bidden  to  wait  while  an 
em.bassy  of  priests  went  to  the  Viceroy  to  beg  him  to  reconsider 
his  sentence.  In  silence  the  great  throng  waited,  until  clattering 
5 


66 


PAPIST  AND  PAGAN 


hoofs  announced  the  approach  of  a messenger  from  the  Deputy 
of  the  Spanish  Crown.  “ The  rebel  is  to  die  immediately.  Do 
your  work ! ” In  the  anguished  cry  which  rose  from  Indians 
and  Spaniards  alike  the  Inca  raised  his  hand.  Instinctively  his 
people  obeyed  this  last  command,  and  silence  reigned  while  the 
brave  boy  met  his  death.  Then  the  pent-up  feelings  of  the 
crowd  found  expression.  “ The  sands  of  tlie  glorious  dynasty 
of  Manco  Capac  had  run  out ; there  was  no  more  an  Inca.” 

That  night  a Spaniard  looked  from  his  window  over  the 
square,  and  in  the  still  moonlight  beheld  a great  crowd,  motion- 
less, kneeling,  every  face  upturned  with  hopeless  sorrow  and 
adoration  to  the  stake  where  the  heartless  Viceroy  had  placed 
the  head  of  Tupac  Amaru. 

Year  by  year  oppression  increased ; the  greater  number  of 
the  people  were  condemned  to  slavery  in  the  mines  and  manu- 
factories ; and  so  terribly  was  the  population  reduced,  that  whole 
districts  were  left  to  women  and  children,  and  even  little  boys 
were  dragged  away  to  distant  parts  of  the  country  to  gather 
wealth  for  the  Spaniards,  and  die  unmourned.  All  humane  laws 
were  evaded,  and  the  tribute  which  had  been  imposed  upon 
prosperous  towns  was  still  demanded  from  the  scattered  families 
by  which,  in  a few  years,  they  were  i-epresented.  “In  a 
century,”  says  Markham,  “ nine-tenths  of  the  people  had  been 
destroyed  by  overwork  and  cruelty.” 

These  wrongs,  which  at  length  became  unbearable,  excited 
the  indignation  of  a royal  Indian,  who  took  the  name  of  the 
last  murdered  Inca,  Tupac  Amaru.  In  1781,  after  exhausting 
every  other  means  for  obtaining  redress,  he  was  driven  to  take 
up  arms  in  their  defence.  He  announced  the  object  of  his 
rebellion  to  be  the  abolition  of  cruel  exactions  and  the  establish- 
ment of  an  Indian  judge  in  each  province,  and  of  a Court  of 
Appeal  at  Cuzco  within  reach  of  the  people. 

I have  seen  the  ancient  sanctuary  where,  surrounded  by 
black  and  rugged  lava  walls,  he  gathered  his  followers  and 


REBEL  OR  MARTYR? 


67 


committed  their  cause  to  the  deity  of  his  fathers.  “ For  a time 
he  was  successful ; the  dead  gods  seemed  to  live  once  more,  and 
the  banner  of  the  Incas,  glowing  anew  with  its  iris  blazon, 
appeared  destined  to  float  again  above  the  massive  walls  of  the 
fortress  of  Cuzco.”  ^ But  treachery  ruined  the  cause  of  the 
Indian  leader;  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  on  21st  May  1781,  in 
the  great  square  of  Cuzco,  his  wife  and  son  were  murdered  with 
dastardly  insults  and  cruelty,  and  the  limbs  of  the  brave  young 
Inca  were  fastened  to  the  girths  of  four  horses,  and  his  body 
rent  in  pieces. 

It  was  then  decreed  that  all  pictures  of  the  Incas  should  be 
seized  and  burned,  and  all  native  musical  instruments  destroyed. 
The  wearing  of  the  national  dress  was  prohibited,  and  the  use 
of  Kechua  forbidden. 

This  was  the  culmination  of  Spain’s  wrongs  to  an  innocent 
people.  The  shriek  of  Tupac  Amaru’s  little  boy,  who  was 
forced  to  witness  the  murder  of  his  parents,  was  the  herald  of 
a struggle  which  brought  death  to  Spanish  power  in  Peru.  In 
1821,  only  forty  years  later,  this  colony,  with  its  apparently 
unlimited  wealth  and  magnificent  possibilities,  was  wrested 
from  Spain ; the  last  representative  of  the  mother-country  was 
driven  from  office ; and  Peru  was  declared  a republic.  Tupac 
Amaru  had  not  died  in  vain. 

' Squier,  Incidents  of  Travel  and  Exploration  in  the  Land,  of  the  Incas. 


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'^•.•',’AV!;‘V  .,  ‘ ' -^(l  y 

.1?  <,i'\‘  •_  ' ^ '■  ' 

‘-•V  ^'V  •v'*-*'’  < 

>4J 


I’i'.-T  J.  X 


v.Va 


.^a|'',  • . / W r'A‘$r 


Chapter  VIII. — Libertad  ! Igualdad  ! Fraternidad  ! — 

Echoes  of  footsteps  and  voices  on  the  old  Bridge  of  Lima — 
The  French  peril  of  — How  ladies  fermented  a revolution 

— The  effect  of  the  Battle  of  Trafalgar  on  South  America — How 
in  three  years  an  English  admiral  swept  the  Spanish  flag  from 
the  Pacific — The  consumptive  genius  %oho  emancipated  half  a 
continent — How  it  is  that  there  are  still  marks  of  cannon  halls 
in  the  buildings  of  Lima — Peril’s  present  crisis. 


69 


CHAPTER  VIII 


LIBERTAD ! IGUALDAD ! FRATERNIDAD  ! 


old,  unhappy,  far-off  things. 

And  battles  long  ago.” — Wordsworth. 


E stood  one  summer  evening  on  the  old  Bridge  of  Lima 


and  looked  up  and  down  the  valley.  Up,  where  the 
Rimac  issues  from  its  mountain  home ; where  it  winds  and 
widens  in  its  rush  for  the  City  of  the  Kings ; where  the  over- 
hanging houses  peer  into  the  troubled  river  as  it  dashes,  full 
and  foaming,  to  the  bridge.  Down,  where  its  waters  swirl 
and  clamour  round  a wooded  i.sland,  and  the  silver  river 
of  the  mountains  becomes  an  angry,  foaming  torrent.  Down, 
past  tall  trees  that  nod  in  sleepy  silence,  oblivious  to  its 
clamorous  speed ; past  alleys  whence  rise  children’s  cries  to 
mingle  with  its  many  voices.  Down,  to  the  sunset,  whei’e 
blazing  Inti  drops  behind  the  towers  of  Lima,  and  where, 
when  his  golden  circle  has  disappeared,  two  solitary  crosses 
stand  black  against  a blood-red  sky.  Down,  till  the  river 
narrows  in  perspective,  and  its  silver  coils  are  hidden  in  a 
gauzy  veil  of  grey. 

What  could  you  not  tell  us,  O Bridge  of  the  Rimac  ? Must 
history  lie  buried  in  your  stones,  and  mankind  never  hear  ? 
Speak  of  the  footsteps  you  have  echoed  ! Speak  of  the  passers- 
by  whom  you  have  known  ! 


In  the  days  when  the  overtlirow  of  Spanish  rule  was  being- 
planned  in  Lima,  the  footsteps  which  passed  over  the  bridge 


72  LIBERT  AD!  IGUALDAD  1 FRATERNIDAD  1 


wei’e  alert  and  wary.  The  cafe  at  its  corner  was  crowded  with 
the  elite  of  the  city,  and  witnessed  many  an  earnest  and 
eloquent  debate.  Great  changes  had  heralded  the  approach  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  Spain  had  at  last  given  free  trade  to 
the  Indies,  and  in  the  exercise  of  its  new  privilege  the  vice- 
royalty came  to  realize  that  heretofore  it  had  not  enjoyed 
liberty.  The  colonies  of  England  had  broken  free  from  the 
mother-country,  and  the  first  American  States  had  already  been 
formed.  The  French  Revolution  was  an  expression  of  the 
mental  conflict  of  the  age.  Freedom  was  the  idol  of  the  hour. 
Change  was  in  the  air.  Discontent  and  daring  ideas  of  reform 
were  abroad.  Most  startling  of  all — the  very  power  of  Spain 
was  tottering.  Napoleon  was  threatening  to  rule  the  world ; 
Charles  IV.  had  abdicated ; the  Bonaparte  family  had  seized 
the  Spanish  throne  from  the  rightful  heir,  and  the  Spanish 
colonies  felt  themselves  left  for  the  moment  standing  alone. 
Formerly  they  had  lived  in  a mediaeval  atmosphere,  and  now 
they  were  suddenly  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  revo- 
lutionaiy  ideas  which  swayed  the  leaders  of  political  events  in 
Europe. 

The  one  absorbing  topic  of  conversation  in  the  cafd  of  the 
Rimac  was  the  French  peril.  Would  England  break  the  power 
of  France  on  the  sea,  and  thus  prevent  her  working  effectively 
beyond  the  Atlantic  ? Or  would  Napoleon’s  dreams  be  fulfilled, 
and  a French  monarch  be  installed  in  South  America?  The 
Colonies  were  desirous  of  supporting  the  Spanish  heir,  but 
they  would  not  recognize  the  Bonaparte  usurpation.  National 
Governments  had  been  formed  in  the  homeland,  but  when  they 
proposed  to  follow  this  course,  Seville  viewed  their  patriotic 
enthusiasm  as  insurrection ; and  so  crucial  was  the  time,  that  a 
few  unwise  messages  were  sufficient  to  turn  the  sympathetic 
movement  of  1808-1810  into  an  anti-Spanish  revolt.  Monks 
and  priests  were  the  first  champions  of  the  revolutionary  cause 
in  Peru,  and  young  men  left  their  colleges  with  the  problem  of 
the  countiy’s  future  on  their  hearts.  Dissatisfaction  and  unrest 


CONSPIRATORS  OF  THE  CAF^; 


73 


increased  rapidly,  and  wei’e  not  lessened  by  the  Viceroy’s  piti- 
less severity  in  punishing  all  advocates  of  progress.  The  ladies 
of  Lima  were  touched  by  the  spirit  of  liberty ; rich  donas 
(ladies)  carried  secret  messages  from  house  to  house,  and  held 
rebel  parties  at  which  gathered  the  elite  of  the  capital. 
Through  their  influence  the  officers  in  the  Spanish  army  were 
imbued  with  the  liberal  spirit,  and  ere  long  the  country  was  in 
a ferment.  Students,  lawyers,  and  citizens  of  every  rank  were 
ready  at  the  first  opportunity  to  rise  against  Spain.  In  the 
medical  college,  at  evening  parties,  in  the  fashionable  cafes, 
patriots  were  scheming  for  the  future ; and  when  their  leaders 
one  by  one  disappeared — suddenly  arrested,  sent  to  the  Sierra, 
exiled,  imprisoned  in  Chili,  immured  in  the  fortress  of  Callao  or 
the  Inquisition  cells  of  Lima,  and  even  executed  in  the  public 
squares — others  stepped  forward  to  take  their  places,  and  so  the 
revolution  grew. 

When  in  1813  news  of  the  abolition  of  the  Spanish  Inquisi- 
tion reached  Peru,  public  opinion  could  no  longer  be  restrained. 
There  was  a raid  on  the  prisons  of  the  Holy  Office ; their 
documents  were  scattered,  their  furniture  wrecked  or  stolen, 
and  the  fiendish  instruments  of  torture  destroyed.  To-day  the 
Senators  and  Deputies  of  the  republic  sit  in  the  one-time  room 
of  the  Inquisition. 

In  spite  of  many  grievances  existing  in  Peru,  the  actual 
impetus  to  the  revolution  came  from  without.  The  gospel  of 
emancipation  was  preached  in  Europe  before  it  was  whispered 
in  Lima,  and  when  Trafalgar  had  been  won,  the  European 
revolutionists  felt  the  time  had  come  to  rouse  South  America  to 
carry  out  their  plans.  In  England  loans  were  raised,  ships 
chartered  for  the  Spanish  Main,  and  whole  regiments  formed. 
The  movement  was  strongly  carried  out,  and  although  the 
Viceroy  met  it  with  systematic  and  pitiless  resistance,  the  year 
1820  found  him  controlling  only  Peru.  The  south  and  the  north 
of  the  continent  had  broken  free. 

Thousands  of  Indians  had  joined  the  revolutionary  troops, 


74  LIBERTAD  ! IGUALDAD  ! FRATERNIDAD  ! 


and  led  by  an  old  general  of  their  own  race,  met  the  Government 
forces  again  and  again.  But  they  were  opposing  a tyrant; 
when  the  battle  turned  against  them  they  were  mutilated, 
murdered,  and  their  bodies  disgi’aced.  Hundreds  of  prisoners 
were  shot  in  cold  blood ; village  plazas  were  decorated  with 
heads  stuck  on  poles ; and  so  great  was  the  power  of  the  Viceroy 
that  the  revolution  would  surely  have  failed  had  it  not  been  for 
the  co-operation  of  neighbouring  countries. 

San  Martin,  the  first  great  leader  of  the  revolution,  was  a 
native  of  the  Argentine  who  had  been  educated  in  Spain. 
While  in  the  north,  brave  Bolivar  was  waging  the  war  of 
freedom,  San  Martin  secured  the  independence  of  the 
Argentine  and  Chili,  and  with  his  army  of  the  Andes  advanced 
towards  Peru,  his  battle-flag  embroidered  with  a glowing  sun — 
the  ancient  symbol  of  the  Incas.  Chili  was  charged  to  help  in 
the  liberation  of  Pei’U,  and  nobly  rose  to  the  occasion.  Ships 
were  bought  and  a brave  English  admiral  put  in  charge  of  the 
republic’s  first  naval  squadron.  Lord  Cochrane  was  a man  of 
violent  temper  and  personal  ambition,  but  in  .skill,  insight,  and 
dash  he  has  been  said  to  equal  Lord  Nelson.  After  offering  his 
services  to  Chili,  in  three  years  he  swept  the  Spanish  flag  from 
the  Pacific. 

In  1820  San  Martin  joined  the  patriot  armies  of  Peru,  and 
the  Engli.sh  admiral  anchored  in  Callao  Ba}’’.  Those  were  days 
of  daring  deeds — when  a Spanish  frigate,  guarded  by  twenty- 
two  gun-boats  and  the  powerful  guns  of  the  fortress,  was 
boarded  at  night  by  an  Englishman  and  his  handful  of  Chilian 
followers,  was  captured,  and  towed  into  safety  before  the 
garrison  on  shore  awoke ; when  the  last  treasure-laden  galleons 
which  set  sail  for  Spain  from  the  land  of  the  Incas  were  seized 
by  the  patriots ; when  Lord  Cochrane  challenged  the  Viceroy  to 
fight  him  ship  to  ship. 

One  evening  in  1821  a fishing-boat  put  out  of  Callao  Bay, 
cai’rying  a handsome,  harassed  Spaniard.  The  Vicei’oy  had 
decamped,  the  royalists  had  evacuated  the  coast,  and  it  only 


HEROES  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


75 


remained  for  Independence  to  be  declared,  and  the  liberator  of 
the  country  constituted  Protector.  His  entry  into  Lima  was 
the  culmination  of  San  Martin’s  triumph.  Two  armies  of 

liberation  had  now  met : that  of  San  jMartin  fx’om  the  south, 
and  that  of  Bolivar  from  the  north.  But  the  struggle  could 
only  be  successfully  concluded  under  the  leadership  of  one  man, 
and  therefore  Martin  with  noble  magnanimity  withdrew. 

In  the  proclamation  which  he  issued  on  leaving  Peru  in 
1822,  the  general  made  this  proud  boast : “ I have  proclaimed 
the  independence  of  Chili  and  Peru ; I have  taken  the  standax'd 
with  which  Pizarx’o  caxne  to  enslave  the  enxpix'e  of  the  Iixcas ; 
and  I have  ceased  to  be  a public  xnan.  I have  fulfilled  ixiy 
proxxiise  to  the  countries  for  which  I have  fought;  I have 
given  them  independence.”  “ It  was  axx  act  of  splendid 

abnegation,”  says  Mr.  Ilxxbert  Bx'own,^  “ worthy  of  the  true- 
hearted patx’iot  whoixx  his  country  has  at  last  leax’ixed  to 
honoux-.” 

Bolivar  was  eminently  suited  to  his  task,  and  iix  1824  he 
led  his  followers  agaixxst  the  last  Spanish  arxny  which  was 
destined  to  gather  in  South  America.  After  an  hoxxr  of 
desperate  struggle,  the  revolutionists  tx-iumphed,  and  liberty  was 
achieved. 

England  had  alx-eady  so  far  x-ecognized  the  iixdependence  of 
Peru  as  to  send  out  her  con.sul ; axid  the  Uxxited  States,  un- 
hampered by  European  relations,  did  all  it  could  to  help  the 
young  power.  By  its  acceptatioxx  of  President  Munroe’s 
doctrixie,  it  bound  itself  to  prevent  axxy  Euinpeaix  aggressioix  iix 
South  America,  and  constitxxted  itself  gxxardian  to  the  ixew 
x'epublics,  which  were  foxinded  on  prixiciples  identical  with  its 
owix. 

Bolivar  lived  for  the  ideal  of  combining  .several  republics 
in  oxxe  vast  federation ; but  was  strxxck  dowix  with  coix- 
sunxptioix  axxd  died  at  the  age  of  forty-seven,  ere  half  the 
difficixlties  were  overcome.  “His  career  ahnost  baffles  judg- 
1 Hubert  W.  Brown,  Latin  America. 


76  LIBERTAD!  IGUALDAD  ! FRATERNIDAD  ! 


ment;  it  is  the  story  of  the  emancipation  of  half  a continent 
through  efforts  chiefly  guided  by  one  suflering  soldier.”  As  a 
man  he  was  ignoble ; as  an  idealist,  inspiring  ; and  whatever  our 
opinion  of  his  character  and  genius,  we  cannot  but  agree  that 
he  gave  his  life  for  South  America. 

On  the  death  of  Bolivar,  Peru  and  sister-republics  which  had 
called  him  Liberator  found  no  other  great  leader  to  stem  the 
dangerous  current  of  those  days,  and  they  drifted  back  into 
confusion  and  revolution.  Until  the  opening  of  the  twentieth 
century  this  state  continued.  For  many  years  the  government 
was  in  the  hands  of  reckless  speculators,  whose  operations 
burdened  the  country  with  debt  and  destroyed  its  credit. 
During  the  years  1880-83  that  “unprovoked  and  undeserved 
calamity — the  disastrous  Chilian  invasion,”  came  upon  Pei'U,  and 
only  lately  has  the  republic  begun  to  recover  in  commerce,  arts, 
and  constitutional  stability  from  that  unprincipled  attack.  In 
throwing  off  the  effects  of  invasion,  Peru  has  shown  great 
powers  of  recuperation,  and  is  more  prosperous  to-day  than 
when  the  nitrate  fields  of  Arica  were  hers. 

Ten  years  ago  fighting  was  common  in  Lima.  The  story  of 
missionary  work  in  the  capital  records  revolutionary  times, 
when  for  days  famine  rations  prevailed,  and  rival  party  leaders 
mounted  Gatling  guns  in  the  streets  and  trained  them  upon 
each  other’s  adherents ; when  the  dead  were  carried  out 
by  cartloads,  or  burned  in  the  streets  where  they  fell.  One 
may  still  see  the  holes  where  cannon-balls  went  through 
the  churches  and  houses;  but,  after  eight  years  of  peace, 
Ave  rejoice  in  the  reasonable  hope  that  such  days  are  for  ever 
past. 

The  school  geography  of  Peru  says  that  the  government  is 
republican,  democratic,  representative,  and  centralized.  The 
President  is  a very  important  factor  in  the  prosperity  of  the 
republic.  “ He  has  more  power  in  many  ways  than  the 
President  of  the  United  States.  He  practically  decides  upon 
everything,  controlling  Congress,  and  having  much  to  .say  as  to 


BENEATH  THE  REPUBLIC. 

Tills  is  a photo  taken  by  the  missionaries,  in  Cuzco, 
of  a municipal  authority. 


WHERE  REVOLUTIONS  ARE  COMMON  77 


concessions  for  public  and  private  works.  Congress  is  con- 
stituted in  the  same  way  as  in  the  United  States.  It  consists 
of  a Senate  and  a House  of  Representatives,  the  Senators  being 
elected  for  four  years,  and  the  Deputies  for  two.”  ^ 

The  laws  appointed  by  Congress  are  enforced  in  the  country 
by  Government  officials.  The  eighteen  Departments  are 
governed  by  Prefects;  the  ninety-eight  Provinces  by  Sub- 
Prefects  ; and  the  seven  hundred  and  ninety-eight  Districts  by 
Governors;  while  the  Parcialidades  or  Indian  Hamlets  have 
their  own  Indian  Alcaldes  (judges). 

The  population  of  Peru  is  approximately  four  millions. 
It  is  estimated  that  Indians  form  fifty-seven  per  cent,  of  the 
whole  populace ; Mestizos  or  Gholos  (half-breeds),  twenty-three 
per  cent. ; and  Blancos  (white  people  of  Spanish  de.scent), 
twenty  per  cent.  In  the  Coast  Region  this  mixture  is  com- 
plicated by  the  introduction  of  Negro  and  Chinese  labour. 

All  these  nationalities  are  bound  together  with  the  chains 
of  a tyranny  which  has  outlived  the  fall  of  Spanish  power  in 
Peru.  Religious  intolerance  is  still  a part  of  the  republic’s 
Constitution.  Article  IV.  says ; “ The  Nation  professes  the 
Apostolic  Roman  Catholic  religion ; the  State  protects  it,  and 
does  not  permit  the  public  worship  of  any  other.” 

True  republican  liberty  cannot  live  where  this  intoleration 
is  carried  into  effect ; and  Peruvians  have  at  last  realized  that 
unless  they  break  free  from  the  yoke  of  Rome,  the  fate  of 
Spain  will  be  theirs.  They  have  studied  history,  and  know 
that  “ in  the  contest  which  followed  the  Reformation,  Castilia 
was  the  great  champion  of  Rome.  Spain  and  England  stand 
out  before  us  during  the  last  half  of  the  .sixteenth  century, 
representatives  of  the  principles  that  were  contending  for  the 
world’s  future ; and  sometimes  the  conflict  was  almost  narrowed 
to  a duel  between  them.  Victory  for  Spain  meant  victory  for 
Rome;  meant  kingly  and  priestly  tyranny;  the  Inquisition, 
the  rack,  and  the  stake.  Victory  for  England  meant  an  open 

^ F.  G.  Carpenter,  Houth  America, 


78  LIBERTAD  ! IGUALDAD  ! FRATERNIDAD  ! 


Bible,  freedom  of  thought,  equal  rights,  liberty  of  con- 
science.” ^ 

The  conflict  of  these  same  principles  still  divides  the  powers 
of  the  world,  and  Peru  has  yet  to  choose  with  which  side  she 
will  ally  hex'self. 

^ lender  the  Southern  Gni.<s. 


PART  II 


PERU:  ITS  PEOPLE 


Chapter  IX. — The  Coast  Valleys — 

A desert  which  would  stretch  half  across  the  Atlantic — A 
ghoulish  burying -place — A university  town  with  a population 
more  than  three  times  as  large  as  that  of  Cambridge — The 
Chinaman  in  Peru — A land  where  wine  costs  only  2\d  a 
bottle. 


6 


8i 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  COAST  VALLEYS 


“ ovre  jSoaJi/  out  dv8p<Sv  (paivero  i'pya, 

KaiTvov  S’  oiov  opapei  otto  x^ovos  di(T(TOVTa.” — HoiIER.^ 

The  Land  of  the  Incas  is  unique ; and  be  you  a tourist  from 
the  fascinating  East,  the  wilds  of  the  Western  World,  or 
the  Sunny  South,  the  Coast  of  Peru  will  surprise  you.  Imagine 
steaming  half  as  far  as  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  through 
an  ocean  skirting  the  sandy  fringe  of  a colossal  mountain  range. 
Now  and  then  snow  peaks  glitter  in  the  blue  distance,  but  for 
the  rest  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  sand. 

This  barren  coast  is  striped  with  narrow  green  valleys  which 
follow  the  course  of  small  rivers,  taking  their  rise  in  Andean 
snow,  and  flowing  into  the  Pacific  at  the  various  ports  of  call. 
Oh,  the  variety  of  nationalities ! Oh,  the  contrasts  of  scenery 
presented  here ! 

Beneath  cloudless  tropical  blue  by  day,  and  a star-spangled 
dome  by  night,  our  steamer  ploughs  her  way  south ; and  to-day 
we  are  anchored  off  the  long  pier  of  Pacasmayo,  where  barges 
are  busy  unloading  their  cargoes  of  sacks.  These  have  been 
brought  from  the  rich  farms  of  the  valley,  and  contain  coffee, 
sugar,  cotton,  rice,  and  tobacco.  There  is  no  more  fertile  region 
on  earth  than  this  desert ; irrigation  transforms  it  into  a 
tropical  Eden.  It  was  to  prevent  Indian  slavery  in  these  great 
farms  of  the  Coast  district,  that  Negro  and  Chinese  labour  was 

^ “ There  was  no  sign  of  the  labour  of  men  or  oxen,  only  we  saw  the  smoke 
curling  upward  from  the  land.” 


83 


84 


THE  COAST  VALLEYS 


first  brought  to  Peru.  The  mixture  of  blood  which  has  since 
resulted  is  very  curious.  European,  Indian,  Chinese,  and 
Jamaican  characteristics  mingle ; and  the  stranger  finds  himself 
unable  to  identify  the  nationality  of  many  inhabitants  of  the 
Coast  towns. 

In  a curve  of  brown  sand,  besieged  and  beset  by  the 
thundering  waves,  lies  the  town  of  Salaverry,  which  is  named 
after  Felipe  Santiago  Salaverrj^,  a famous  Peruvian  general 
of  the  time  of  the  first  Chilian  invasion — a remarkable  poet, 
and  one  of  the  most  picturesque  figures  in  the  stormy  history 
of  Peru.  The  double  line  of  peaks  which  encloses  the  fruitful 
valley  of  Chimu,  may  be  seen  diverging  from  Trujillo,  nine 
miles  inland,  and  a few  straggling  hills  continue  down  to  the 
sandy  seaward  termination  of  the  fertile  valley,  where  they 
are  crested  by  the  rolling  surf  of  Salaverry. 

This  is  a neat  sandy  town  of  one  and  two-storeyed  houses, 
but  we  do  not  envy  the  isolated  foreigners — Englishmen  at 
times  perchance — whose  lot  it  is  to  sit  on  office  stools  all  day 
in  the  blazing  sunlight;  to  receive  ships’  captains,  and  make 
inventories  of  their  cargoes,  while  the  monotonous  waves  roar 
on  the  cliff,  and  the  dusky  fishermen  lazily  draw  their  canoes 
to  shore,  and  the  sleepy  crabs  bask  in  the  sun  on  the 
sand. 

Salaverry  exports  sugar,  rice,  alcohol,  and  metals,  and  is 
the  terminus  of  one  of  the  most  northerly  of  Peru’s  railways. 
We  watch  a stream  of  cargo-carriers  bearing  bags  of  sugar, 
each  225  lbs.  in  weight,  from  the  train  to  the  barges.  They 
are  mighty  fellows,  these  Peruvians  of  Negro  extraction,  wet 
from  foot  to  waist  with  brine,  their  bare  legs  glistening  like 
bronze.  Those  about  us  are  humble  contented  people — 
workmen,  fi.shermen,  porters,  carpenters,  muleteers,  and  those 
engaged  on  the  bai’ges.  They  are  remarkably  neighbourly,  too, 
and  enter  one  another’s  homes  with  as  much  liberty  as  their 
own.  Several  families  will  eat  together  their  meals  of  rice, 
beans,  and  chicha,  or  beer  made  from  Indian  corn,  and  look  at 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  CHIMUS  85 

us  through  the  spaces  in  their  slight  bamboo  huts  with  undis- 
guised curiosity  and  interest. 

Above  the  town,  set  like  an  eagle’s  eyrie  on  the  lofty 
shoulder  of  a bare  sandy  mount,  is  a black-mouthed  copper 
mine.  An  ancient  Chimu  road  crosses  the  long  flank  of 
the  hill,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  mule-track,  leading  inland,  is 
a huge  cross  draped  with  fluttering  rags,  which  marks  the 
resting-place  of  two  races  of  different  epochs ; for  in  its  shadow 
are  Chimu  graves,  and  also  rough  stones  which  cover  the  bones 
of  those  who  fell  here  at  the  Battle  of  Salaverry,  fought  during 
the  Chilian  invasion. 

We  are  passing  the  ruined  church,  which  is  evidently  used 
as  a stable.  “ Weekly  mass  is  performed  in  a room  of  the 
Custom-House,  now,”  says  a friend;  “a  Franciscan  friar  and 
his  Indian  servant  come  down  every  Sunday  from  Trujillo; 
that  is  all  the  religion  with  which  the  six  thousand  inhabitants 
of  the  port  are  troubled.”  Past  the  poisonous  zone  of  Salaverry 
— the  town’s  rubbish  heap,  where  even  the  most  inured  must 
hold  his  breath  for  a time,  where  the  scorpions  lurk  in  scores 
and  birds  of  prey  gather  — we  tramp  over  the  saltpetre- 
encrusted  sand  until  we  reach  the  cemetery,  a dreary  and 
desolate  spot,  gaunt  and  ghoulish. 

Near  the  abandoned  copper-mine  above  us  are  rocks  and 
tropical  cacti,  amongst  which  are  sometimes  to  be  seen  signs  of 
rock-deer,  foxes,  bats,  lizards,  condors,  and  strange  Peruvian 
birds.  Miles  of  Pacific  surf  are  in  view,  and  below  us  the 
celebrated  guano  islands  lie  white  in  the  sapphire  sea. 

By  train  we  cross  the  desert  separating  Salaverry  from 
Trujillo.  A vast  yellow  expanse  is  around  us,  only  made  the 
more  impressive  by  the  dark  shadows  of  telegraph  poles,  and 
clear  Indian  footprints.  Suddenly  we  enter  irrigated  country ; 
and,  as  by  magic,  the  desert  is  transformed  into  a verdant 
tropical  vale.  Sugar-cane,  bamboo,  banana,  and  acacia  trees 
are  growing  around  as  we  steam  into  Moche.  This  one-time 
centre  of  Chimu  civilization  is  to-day  an  important  little  Indian 


86 


THE  COAST  VALLEYS 


town  of  some  5,000  inhabitants.  From  the  train  we  look  into 
mud-  and  stick-houses,  where  pigs,  donkeys,  horses,  starved  cats, 
dogs,  and  children,  are  lying  together  in  the  dust  and  burning 
sun,  taking  an  afternoon  siesta. 

Another  short  run  brings  us  to  Trujillo,  the  capital  of  the 
Department  of  Libertad,  and  an  important  centre  of  Peruvian 
coast-life.  On  two  sides  of  the  city  mountains  rise  into  the 
clouds — and  make  the  site  very  beautiful.  Trujillo  is  a fine 
city,  smart,  clean,  busy,  and  progressive.  It  has  good  streets, 
superior  shops,  a handsome  plaza,  and  with  all  its  modern 
appearance,  some  very  interesting  and  beautiful  remnants  of 
Spanish  architecture.  The  town  is  well  lit  from  the  hydro- 
electric station  on  the  river,  370  feet  above  sea-level. 

This  home  of  the  Chimus  is  a place  of  strange  contrasts. 
Not  far  away  is  a ruined  Temple  of  the  Sun;  the  building  in 
which  we  now  stand  is  a Roman  Catholic  convent;  and  the 
room  which  we  have  just  left  was  utilized  ten  years  ago  for 
the  printing  of  anathemas  against  English  Evangelical  mission- 
aries. This  whitewashed  monastic  building  is  impressively 
quiet.  A beam  of  light  penetrating  its  winding  passages  falls 
upon  the  stagnant  water  of  a well  far  below  us.  Two  disreput- 
able and  repulsive  priests  conduct  us  to  the  church  where 
magnificent  old  Spanish  carving  stands  out  in  contrast  to  the 
tarnished  tin  ornaments,  red  glass  candlesticks,  common  lace, 
and  bright  blue  ribbon,  which  mark  the  devotion  of  later 
worshippers. 

More  than  15,000  people  live  in  Trujillo,  and  the  town  plays 
no  mean  part  in  Peruvian  politics.  It  is  one  of  the  four 
University  centres  of  the  country,  and  abounds  in  free- 
thinkers, although  it  has  nine  Roman  Catholic  churches,  seven 
monasteries,  and  two  nunneries. 

On  through  the  Pacific  rollers  our  steamer  bears  us,  past 
the  famous  Bay  of  Callao,  which  we  are  to  visit  later.  “ You 
have  been  interested  to  observe  the  Chinese  in  your  journey 
along  the  Peruvian  coast,”  says  a friend  ; “ yonder  they  live  in 


OPIUM  DENS 


87 


thousands.  Originally  their  slavery  was  unmasked ; to-day  it 
is  called  contract  labour.  They  are  each  given  £50  in  advance, 
and  wages  from  the  time  they  leave  China ; these  terms  of 
employment  are  signed  in  the  Japanese  Legation  of  Peru,  and 
since  they  involve  heavy  outlay  for  the  contractors,  it  follows 
that  large  gains  must  be  in  veiw.  But  you  need  not  pity  the 
Chinaman  much,  Sehorita.  He  never  submits  to  cruelty  if 
there  is  any  possibility  of  wriggling  out  of  it,  and  is  often  a 
wealthy  man  though  he  lives  like  a pauper.  As  you  pass  through 
the  streets  of  Lima  you  will  see  the  better-class  Chinese 
merchants  in  full  dress  standing  in  curious  Eastern  shops 
where  exquisite  embroideries,  pottery,  and  Chinese  scrolls  are 
di.splayed.  A large  part  of  the  retail  business  of  Lima  is  in 
the  hands  of  these  sons  of  the  East.  They  have  temples  here 
as  well  as  in  Trujillo,  where  you  may  catch  sight  of  red  boards 
with  gold  lettering,  Chinese  lanterns,  and  bead  curtains.  The 
poor  Chinamen  perform  the  most  menial  tasks  in  Peru.  The 
old  men,  though  they  have  cut  off  their  pigtails,  still  trot  about 
in  Chinese  slippers  and  faded  blue  jackets,  working  as  street 
scavengers.  They  are  poor  anyhow,  and  prefer  poverty  to  a 
decent  life ; but  when  they  take  opium  and  gamble,  they  live 
like  dogs  ! Their  business  is  generally  to  breed  pigs,  tan  skins, 
and  sell  lard ; in  a room  where  twelve  men  work  all  day,  they 
will  sleep  on  a shelf  built  just  below  the  ceiling  at  night. 
They  live  mainly  on  rice,  and  spend  all  they  earn  on  opium. 
Thousands  of  them  may  be  found  in  the  joss-houses  and  opium- 
dens  of  Lima  alone.” 

We  are  now  on  our  way  to  fruit-growing  Southern  Peru, 
to  the  valleys  of  Tambo  de  Mora,  Pisco,  Chala,  and  Ho.  From 
the  steamer  Pisco  looks  like  a city  of  dolls’  houses,  so  stiff  and 
yet  so  fragile  are  its  square  coloured  boxes  of  homes  with 
their  white  window  frames.  But  beneath  this  bright  exterior 
lurks  the  deadly  bubonic  plague,  and  within  a few  years  the 
town  has  been  several  times  burnt  to  the  ground,  in  the  attempt 
to  get  rid  of  the  fatal  germs.  Still  its  natives  live  in  appalling 


88 


THE  COAST  VALLEYS 


dirt,  and  drink  is  found  everywhere.  The  use  of  alcohol 
from  babyhood  upward  leaves  its  mark  in  the  dwarfed  growth 
and  wasted  appearance  of  many  of  the  poorer  classes.  Even 
ladies  drink,  and  are  surprised  when  we  decline  their  pressing 
offers  of  wine  and  spirits. 

At  Tambo  de  Mora  we  make  our  way  through  the  noisy 
crowds  on  the  shore.  The  place  is  alert  with  busine.ss,  but 
indescribable  degradation  exists.  When  the  bargemen  are  not 
working  they  are  drinking,  gambling,  or  quarrelling,  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  thought  of  God  or  of  eternity  among  them. 

A train  takes  us  inland  from  the  port  to  Chincha,  where 
the  wild  grandeur  of  distant  snow-peaks,  and  a foreground  of 
vineyards,  the  fresh  green  branches  of  which  will  soon  be  laden 
with  rich  clusters  of  grapes,  repay  us  for  our  journey.  Fruits 
of  all  kinds  abound  here : — pineapples,  oranges,  lemons,  peaches, 
chirimoyas,  paltas,  grenadillas,  bananas,  grapes,  and  a dozen 
other  tropical  fruits.  Chincha  is  an  important  wine  centre, 
and  here  also  drunkenness  is  very  prevalent.  A bottle  of  wine 
may  be  had  for  2^d.  The  callous  indifference  to  spiritual 
things  amongst  the  large  Italian  element  is  very  marked. 
They  have  no  faith  whatever  in  the  Pope,  and  the  degenerate 
and  decrepit  state  of  Romanism  has  opened  a door  for  spiritual- 
ism, in  spite  of  the  fact  that  madness,  so  the  natives  tell  us, 
has  caused  the  death  of  several  mediums. 

We  have  now  concluded  our  journey  along  the  1,400  miles 
of  Peruvian  desert — the  narrow  strip  of  country  which  has 
made  Peru  famous  for  nitrate,  guano,  and  cotton ; but  in  order 
that  we  may  see  the  main  centre  of  Coast  life,  let  us  visit  the 
capital  of  the  republic,  the  City  of  the  Kings  ! 


Chapter  X. — Lima — the  Pihenix  City — 


Why  no  one  may  shoot  the  repulsive  vultures  of  Callao — 
Lovely  Lima — A eity  of  6,000  priests — Where  Paris  fashions 
are  on  vieio  every  afternoo7i,  10,000  miles  from  France. 


CHAPTER  X 


LIMA— THE  PHCENIX  CITY 


“Tlie  Soutli  Wind  sighed: — ‘From  the  Virgins  my  mid-sea  course  was 
ta’en 

Over  a tliousand  islands  lost  in  an  idle  main, 

Where  the  sea-egg  flames  on  the  coral  and  the  long-hacked  l)ieakers 
croon 

Tlieir  endless  ocean  legends  to  the  lazy  locked  lagoon. 

‘ Strayed  amid  lonely  islets,  mazed  amid  outer  keys, 

I waked  the  palms  to  laughter — I tossed  the  scud  in  the  breeze — 
Never  was  isle  so  little,  never  was  sea  so  lone. 

But  over  the  scud  and  the  palm-trees  an  English  flag  was  blown.’” 


UR  steamer  liad  ploughed  her  way  through  the  phosphor- 


escent Pacific  waves,  and  her  Union  Jack  now  fluttered 
on  the  Bay  of  Callao.  Smooth-faced  rocks  and  islands  rose 
from  the  water,  and  in  the  distance  were  the  Andes  — not 
snow-capped  peaks,  but  rounded  hills,  peering  one  over  the 
shoulder  of  another. 

In  the  afternoon  the  water  of  the  bay  was  a deep,  deep  blue, 
and  sunshine  from  a cloudless  southern  sky  left  dazzling 
sparkles  on  its  ripples.  ' The  green  hulls  of  schooners  and  brigs 
reflected  in  the  glassy  water,  and  the  blues  and  reds  of  many 
rowing  boats  made  the  scene  brilliant. 

At  evening  the  bay  was  lovelier  still.  From  the  shore  we 
watched  the  sun’s  golden  disc  slipping  adown  the  grey  sky 
behind  the  hueless  deep.  Blinding  sunset  glory  flared  around 
the  dark  trees  on  the  shore  and  made  the  harbour  islands  look 
like  floating  leviathans.  It  dazzled,  awed,  and  fascinated  us. 


Rddyard  Kipling. 


92 


LIMA— THE  PHCENIX  CITY 


By  night  the  grey  island-rocks  were  only  just  visible 
against  the  black  sky.  The  harbour  clock  light  threw  long 
reflections  on  the  dark,  smooth  water,  and  over  all  fell  the 
wondrous  beauty  of  restraint.  Stars  glittered  above ; lights 
wavered  in  tlie  bay ; good-night  greetings  mingled  with  gentle 
“ lap  of  water  and  creak  of  oar.”  It  was  the  first  movement  of 
the  Moonlight  Sonata  illustrated  by  Nature ; it  was  that  aspect 
of  evening  of  which  a friend  of  mine  wrote — 

“I  love  thee  most  when  calm  thy  mien, 

And  peaceful  on  thy  bosom  shine 
The  stars,  like  priceless  gems ; 

And  the  whole  world  seems  stretching  out 
Its  arms  to  thy  embrace. 

Then  all  the  frets  and  toils  with  which 
My  daylight  way  is  strewn — 

Like  thistles  crowding  o’er  the  path — 

Cease  to  torment,  and  from  my  soul 
Their  fevers  die  away. 

So  gaze  I u]i  to  thee,  and  gazing 
Feel  thy  power,  for  in  thy  dejiths 
I see  a great  Beyond.” 


In  Callao,  old  and  new  mingle  in  a strange  way.  It  is  one 
of  the  last  resorts  of  the  sailing  ship,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the 
principal  port  of  call  for  steamers  between  San  Francisco  and 
Valparaiso.  Memories  of  the  da^’s  of  bold  Cochrane  still 
cling  to  the  ancient  fortress  which  surveys  the  whole  of  the 
harbour ; but  the  naval  school  of  Callao  is  modern  in  every 
respect.  Close  by  the  fortress  is  the  old  gaol,  with  its  degraded 
criminals,  amongst  whom  a missionary  was  once  imprisoned  for 
eight  months  for  the  crime  of  preaching  the  Gospel  even  in  a 
private  room ; and  in  striking  contrast  to  the  dying  regime 
which  its  memories  of  mingled  fanaticism  and  lack  of  hygiene 
represent,  is  the  age  of  commerce  and  immigration  which  to-day 
brings  magnificent  ocean  liners  to  anchor  in  the  harbour  of 
Callao. 

The  town  is  in  parts  smart  and  modern,  with  buildings  of 


CALLAO  AND  ITS  CARRION  CROWS 


93 


considerable  architectural  pretensions.  Its  wide  streets,  paved 
with  cement,  are  unusual  in  the  tropics.  They  are  lined  with 
trim  orange-trees  and  gaily  painted  one-storeyed  houses.  But  in 
its  shabbier  quarters  Callao  presents  a more  unpreposse.ssing 
appearance  than  any  other  town  I have  ever  visited.  Its  mud 
tracks  of  streets  are  lined  with  tawdry,  flimsy  houses — cages  of 
cane,  plastered  over  with  mud  and  refuse,  and  painted  a dirty 
yellow.  Callao  has  no  sanitary  arrangements  yet ; scavenger 
carts  make  a daily  round,  and  refuse  is  placed  on  the  flat  roofs, 
from  which  it  is  cleared  during  the  night  by  the  gallinazas,  or 
vultures.  These  carrion-birds  are  protected  by  law,  a heavy 
fine  being  the  penalty  for  shooting  one  of  the  loathsome- 
looking  black  creatures. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  feature  of  Callao  is  its  market. 
In  the  centre  is  a little  plaza,  where  a fountain  is  surrounded  by 
a pavement  and  marble  seats  too  sun-baked  to  be  bearable.  All 
around  is  an  extensive  covered  space,  where  Indians,  Chinamen, 
Negroes,  Peruvians,  and  children  of  every  type  are  to  be  seen. 
Here  are  native  wares : ribbons,  meats,  bread,  tropical  fruits, 
rows  of  gigantic  jars  filled  with  native  spirit,  chinchona  bark 
from  the  Montana,  wheat  from  Chili,  piles  of  salt  from  the 
quarries  near  Huacho,  and  “ loaves  ” of  coarse,  unrefined  sugar, 
roughly  wrapped  in  dry  plantain  leaves. 

A foreigner  is  surprised  to  notice  how  numerous  are  the 
monks  and  nuns  he  meets  in  the  streets.  Black,  brown, 
and  white  robes,  sandalled  feet,  rosaries,  and  large  hanging 
crucifixes  attract  his  attention.  But  Catholicism,  with  its 
superstitions,  is  only  one  influence  amongst  many.  Indifference, 
Liberalism,  Confucianism,  Paganism,  vice,  and  crime,  all  are 
strangely  mingled  in  the  atmosphere  of  this  Peruvian  port. 

In  twenty-five  minutes  fine  modern  electric-cars  carry  us 
over  the  six  miles  which  stretch  between  Callao  and  Lima. 
Then  beneath  the  two  strange  sentinel  hills  between  which  the 
Rimac  flows  to  the  ocean,  we  find  ourselves  in  the  City  of  the 
Kings.  The  capital  was  founded  by  Pizarro  on  Epiphany  Day, 


94 


LIMA— THE  PHOENIX  CITY 


and  named  in  memory  of  the  Magi  who  visited  Bethlehem. 
Although  the  days  are  past  when  the  wealth  and  importance 
of  Lima  were  unrivalled  in  South  America,  the  tone  of  the 
capital  is  still  noticeably  aristocratic.  Here  is  no  mad  rush  for 
wealth — no  sacrifice  of  beauty  and  joy  for  commerce — no 
restless,  over-energetic,  manufacturing  city.  Philadelphia  and 
Chicago  are  of  later  growth,  but  Lima  watches  their  turmoil 
with  royal  assumption.  Her  combination  of  the  graces  of  the 
past  with  the  attainments  of  the  present  is  unique. 

The  City  of  the  Kings  has  fallen ; only  such  relics  as  the 
bones  of  Pizarro,  the  house  of  the  Viceroys,  and  the  Inquisition 
building,  remain  to  witness  to  its  former  greatness.  But  Lima  is 
a phoenix  city.  It  is  rising  from  the  ashes  of  the  past — young, 
yet  refined  by  the  experience  of  age ; brilliant,  yet  beautiful 
because  touched  by  the  spirit  of  the  days  that  are  no  more. 

The  capital  is  now  a typical  South  American  city — flat, 
low,  extensive,  bright,  and  pretty.  It  is  seen  at  its  best  when 
the  summer  sunshine  floods  the  great  plaza  and  the  long 
streets  which  intersect  at  right  angles.  The  city  is  clean  and 
elegant ; flowers  and  tropical  trees  abound ; and  its  squares 
and  paseos — parks  or  avenues  where  it  is  fashionable  to 
promenade  — look  very  attractive.  A brilliant  population, 
foreign  stores,  imposing  churches,  perfect  streets,  and  an  up-to- 
date  electric  - car  system,  make  it  most  pleasing,  indeed  a 
Limena  saying  runs:  “It  were  possible  to  die  of  hunger  in 
Lima,  but  not  to  leave  it.” 

The  capital  is  said  to  cover  14,000,000  square  yards.  Half 
of  this  area  is  occupied  by  private  houses,  and  half  by  public 
buildings,  churches,  public  squares,  botanical  and  zoological 
gardens,  that  would  do  credit  to  any  country. 

The  ecclesiastical  buildings  e.specially  are  entitled  to  notice ; 
they  present  .some  magnificent  specimens  of  Renaissance 
architecture,  and  savour  of  the  days  of  Rome’s  political  greatness. 
Report  says  that  at  the  present  time  there  are  at  least  6,000 
])i’iests  in  Lima. 


\ 


LIMA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 

The  house  on  tlie  left  is  where  the  Viceroys  lived.  The  carved  door  between  its  two 
ancient  balconies  leads  into  the  beautiful  /j/w, 


A COSMOPOLITAN  CAPITAL 


95 


Of  all  the  cities  I was  ever  in,  Peru’s  capital  is  the  most 
cosmopolitan.  This  suburb  is  a China  town ; this  corner  of  the 
market  is  entirely  Negro ; this  store  is  managed  and  manned  by 
Turks.  Here  are  poncho  - wearing  Indians,  Peruvian  priests, 
French  sisters,  American  engineers,  English,  German,  and 
Italian  merchants,  Belgian  school  teachers,  and  representatives 
of  almost  every  countrj^  on  earth.  But  the  greater  number  of 
the  people  who  pass  us  on  these  sunlit  Lima  streets  are  women 
and  girls  with  demure  and  pretty  faces,  draped  in  black  mantas, 
or  black  lace  veils.  In  the  afternoon  the  wealthy  Spanish 
ladies  will  drive  through  the  streets,  and  then  the  latest 
fashions  in  silks  and  feathers  will  be  on  show. 

Of  the  160,000  inhabitants  of  Lima,  thirty-three  per  cent, 
are  of  Spanish  descent ; twenty-seven  per  cent,  half-breeds ; 
seventeen  per  cent.  Indians ; twelve  per  cent,  foreigners ; six 
per  cent.  Negro;  and  five  per  cent.  Chinese. 

Cosmopolitan ! That  word  may  be  applied  to  Panama. 
Another  is  needed,  far  more  expressive,  to  describe  Lima. 
This  shop  belongs  to  a merchant  named  Oechsle ; the  next 
store  bears  on  its  signboard  the  name  “ Jos^  Ferrari  ” ; 
another  step,  and  we  are  before  the  window  of  a “sweet- 
shop ” belonging  to  Gutierrez ; while  his  next-door  neighbour 
glories  in  an  English  name,  and  his  signboard  refreshes  our 
eyes  with  the  simple,  straightforward,  old-country  word, 
“ Tailoring.” 

Many  of  the  houses  are  newly  plastered  and  painted  pale 
blue  or  yellow,  while  overhanging  balconies  complete  their 
Spanish  style.  Close  by  them  are  English  and  American  shop- 
windows,  and  the  poorer  native  stores,  whose  only  opening  is 
by  a door  on  to  the  street. 

In  Lima,  rich  and  poor  mingle  in  a strange  way.  The 
President’s  rooms  look  down  on  a slum,  and  the  best  bank 
faces  tiny,  dark,  native  stores.  The  better  houses  cover  a good 
deal  of  space.  Their  large,  airy  rooms  open  on  to  galleries 
running  round  interior  courts,  bright  with  flowers  and  sunshine. 


96 


LIMA— THE  PHCENIX  CITY 


A Limeila  house  has  no  chimneys,  and  on  the  ground-floor, 
overlooking  the  street,  only  a few  windows,  all  of  which  are 
barred.  The  poorer  parts  of  Lima  consist  largely  of  callejones, 
or  alleys  similar  to  the  conventillos  of  the  Argentine.  They 
are  often  large,  sunny,  open  courtyards,  and  sometimes  narrow 
alleys,  always  entered  by  doors  in  the  walls  of  the  main  streets, 
and  surrounded  by  cell-like  rooms.  Every  aspect  of  life  may 
be  seen  in  the  central  yard.  There  the  dinner  is  cooked,  the 
baby  bathed,  the  clothes  washed,  and  the  Virgin  worshipped. 
At  every  step  one  comes  upon  a child,  and  all  appear  equally 
contented  and  uncared-for. 

In  architecture,  as  well  as  in  historj'’,  modern  Lima  is  a 
phoenix  city.  The  old  style  of  house  had  only  one  storey,  or 
at  most  two ; the  lower  was  usually  of  adobe,  or  sun-baked 
brick,  and  the  upper  of  cane  and  plaster.  But  the  buildings 
erected  lately  in  the  capital  have  three  or  four  storeys,  and  are 
built  of  brick  or  compressed  cement  blocks ; some  of  the  most 
modern  are  even  constructed  on  the  “ sky-scraper  ” style,  with 
a steel  frame.  So  cleverly  are  the  mud  houses  plastered  and 
frescoed,  that  they  form  no  ungainly  part  of  the  city.  The 
beauty  of  many  an  important  building,  which  appears  to  have 
a marble  front,  is  due  to  plaster  and  paint.  This  style  of 
architecture  is  especially  suited  to  Lima,  since,  owing  to  her 
peculiar  situation  with  regard  to  the  Andes,  she  has  no  rain 
for  twenty  or  thirty  years  at  a time.  Other  coast  towns  which 
are  subject  to  rare  but  heavy  tropical  rains,  present  a sorry 
spectacle  at  the  time  of  their  periodical  deluge.  Mud  dissolves 
and  soaks  through  the  bamboo  frames,  the  furniture  within  is 
spoiled,  and  the  effect  of  the  rainfall  is  so  disastrous  that  Mr. 
Squier’s  exaggeration  may  be  forgiven,  when  he  says  that  what 
remains  of  the  city  looks  much  like  “ a withered  cane  brake  in  a 
gigantic  mud-puddle.” 

Lima  is  in  the  centre  of  a region  not  only  free  from  rain, 
but  subject  to  frequent  earthquakes.  This  is  why  mud,  cane, 
and  plaster  have  often  been  used  in  preference  to  stone ; for  a 


“BIBLES  AND  BILLET-DOUX”  97 

minimum  of  damage  is  supposed  to  be  sustained  from  earth- 
quakes in  such  houses. 

Although  it  never  rains  in  Lima,  yet  during  the  dry  season 
of  the  Sierra,  Peru’s  winter  (June  to  November),  the  capital  is 
enveloped  in  mist.  Squier  says  of  this  disagreeable  phenomenon  : 
“ For  days  and  even  weeks  the  sun  is  invisible,  and  a drizzle 
not  unlike  a Scotch  mist  makes  the  side-walks  slippery  and 
pasty,  and  so  permeates  the  air  that  the  sheets  of  one’s  bed 
are  chill  and  sticky.  . . . Bone-aches  and  neuralgias  walk  the 
streets;  the  permeating  mist  not  unfrequently  forming  itself 
into  minute  drops,  when  it  is  called  garua.”  For  the  rest  of 
the  year  Lima  is  bathed  in  brilliant  tropical  sunshine,  yet 
saved  from  exce.ssive  heat  by  the  icy  waters  of  the  Rimac 
on  the  east,  and  the  close  proximity  of  the  Pacific  on  the 
west. 

The  people  of  Lima  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  traveller. 
They  form  by  far  the  most  cultivated  and  tolerant  community 
in  Peru.  Indeed,  Lima  is  the  Mecca  of  the  republic,  and  even 
a stay  in  its  favoured  homes  imparts  a certain  social  standing. 
Talent,  beauty,  and  generosity  mingle  in  the  homes  where  a 
foreigner  is  entertained.  Handsome  gentlemen  of  distingud 
appearance  can  converse  with  equal  freedom  in  Engli.sh,  French, 
or  Spanish.  The  belles  of  the  city  wear  the  latest  Paris  fashions 
with  as  much  grace  and  elegance  as  any  of  Europe’s  fairest. 
Indeed  the  attractions  of  the  Limena  are  unique.  She  has  not 
the  natural  ruddy  grace  of -the  country  girl,  but  the  fascination 
of  a pale  olive  face,  luxuriant  black  hair,  and  large  luminous 
eyes.  She  is  witty,  vivacious,  and  graceful ; can  converse  with 
comparative  ease  in  several  languages ; is  essentially  womanly, 
and  devoted  at  the  same  time  to  religion  and  to  worldly  amuse- 
ments— like  Pope’s  inimitable  heroine,  bestowing  equal  care 
upon  “puffs,  powders,  patches,  bibles,  billet-doux.” 

One  is  glad  to  turn  from  the  glaring  sunshine  of  Lima’s 
streets  to  the  quiet  sanctuaries  where  kneel  in  sombre  black 
7 


98 


LIMA— THE  PHCENIX  CITY 


the  beauties  whose  Parisian  robes  will  be  the  envy  of  all  on 
the  Pasco  Colon  a few  hours  later  in  the  day. 

We  are  in  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  conscious  only 
of  beauty  and  rest.  Crimson  velvet  hangings  ornament  the 
whole  building,  and  before  the  red  curtain  veiling  the  chancel 
a Virgin  stands  above  an  improvised  altar.  The  purity  of  her 
lovely  figure,  the  spotless  altar,  and  white  prie.stly  robes,  form 
a colourless  candle-lit  scene,  which  is  unearthlj"  as  it  appears 
through  ascending  clouds  of  incense ; while  above  it  all  a shining 
cross  stands  out  against  the  crimson  curtains. 

Suddenly  a bell  rings,  and  all  in  the  congregation  drop 
upon  their  knees,  while  incense  rises  afresh,  and  through  its 
misty  white  wreaths  we  see  the  Host  elevated.  Music  com- 
mences from  the  organ  loft,  and  the  choir  chants  its  oft-repeated 
appeal : “ Holy  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  pray  for  us  sinners  now 
and  in  the  hour  of  death  ! ” 

In  Lima,  a new  political  world  has  lately  sprung  up ; noble 
patriots  are  here  who  wish  to  see  every  social  advantage  given 
to  Peru ; men  who,  in  eloquence,  ability,  and  appearance,  give 
an  impression  of  power. 

Then  there  is  Lima’s  commercial  world  daily  increasing  in 
importance : its  successful  merchants  come  from  many  lands ; 
the  wealth  so  lavishly  displayed  in  the  City  of  the  Kings  they 
amassed  in  this  business  realm.  Again,  the  brilliant  world  of 
fashion  has  its  place  in  this  centre ; here  are  the  choice  homes 
of  aristocratic  Peruvian  families ; the  country  houses  of  Englisli 
residents;  the  magnificent  palaces  of  Continental  foreigners. 
Below  their  roofs  society  is  as  in  the  ga}^est  capitals  of  the 
Old  World.  Lima  has  risen  into  the  life  of  the  age — she 
is  the  phoenix  city. 


Chapter  XI. — University  Life — 

A disciple  of  France  and  the  United  States — A Bill  vjJiich 
was  first  proposed  ninety  years  ago,  and  is  still  under  dis- 
cussion— How  Socialism  has  been  upheld  in  “ The  Fvome  of 
Peru  ” — A materialist’s  view  of  death — The  maelstrom  of 
unsanctified  reason — Towns  where  cricket  and  football  are 
ousting  the  bull-fight — A city  where  gambling  is  considered 
charitable. 


99 


CHAPTER  XI 


UNIVERSITY  LIFE 

“ What  care  I for  caste  or  creed  1 
It  is  tlie  deed,  it  is  the  deed  ; 

What  for  class,  or  what  for  clan  ? 

It  is  the  man,  it  is  the  man  ; 

Heirs  of  love,  and  joy,  and  woe. 

Who  is  high,  and  who  is  low  ? 
hlountain,  valley,  sky,  and  sea, 

Arc  for  all  humanity. 

Wliat  care  I for  robe  or  stole? 

It  is  the  soul,  it  is  the  so\il  ; 

Wliat  for  crown,  or  what  for  crest  ? 

It  is  the  heart  within  the  breast ; 

It  is  the  faith,  it  is  the  hope ; 

It  is  the  struggle  up  the  slope. 

It  is  the  brain  and  eye  to  see 

One  God,  and  one  humanity.” — Robert  Loveman. 

More  than  four  hundred  years  ago,  Pope  Alexander  VI. 

presented  South  Ainerica  to  two  Roman  Catholic  powers ; 
that  the  great  .system  which  dominated  Europe  might,  through 
their  zeal,  work  its  will  upon  the  docile  millions  of  the 
New  World,  and  with  tire  and  sword  enforce  obedience  to 
Rome. 

By  that  act  South  American  freedom  was  throttled,  and 
it  will  only  be  revivified  by  assimilation  of  emancipated 
European  life.  Tlie  heroic  age  of  Napoleon  did  not  fail  to 
stir  South  America ; the  great  world-movement  which  produced 
the  French  Revolution  made  Peru  a republic.  “ The  life  current 
of  South  European  vitality  never  ceased  to  circulate,  and  it  .still 

lOI 


102 


UNIVERSITY  LIFE 


throbs  in  the  pulse  of  national  life.”^  France  has  ever  been 
Peru’s  model;  and  while  there  conflicting  influences  have  led 
towards  a sudden  religious  eruption,  severing  all  connection 
between  the  State  and  Church,  similar  forces  have  been  at 
work  in  Peru,  and  the  young  republic  will  probably  not  be 
long  in  taking  the  final  step. 

Moreover,  the  influence  of  the  United  States  of  Amei'ica  is 
becoming  more  and  more  powerful  in  Perfi.  While  one  man 
acts  as  ambassador  at  both  London  and  Paris,  the  legation  at 
Washington  has  a special  envoy;  and  this  capital  is  looked 
upon  as  Peru’s  most  important  diplomatic  post. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  young  Peruvians  are  at  present 
studying  in  the  United  States,  and  in  their  own  country  the 
Minister  of  Instruction  lias  recently  issued  an  order  that  the 
study  of  English  be  made  compulsory  in  all  governmental 
schools. 

Tills  noteworthy  movement  of  pi’Ogress,  seen  in  evciy  branch 
of  life,  in  every  city  of  importance,  and  in  every  Peruvian  paper, 
has  its  natural  centre  in  Lima.  While,  therefore,  we  still  linger 
in  the  City  of  the  Kings,  let  us  notice  this  growth  of  Liberalism, 
which  deserves  to  take  a place  beside  the  great  anti-Konianist 
movements  of  Europe,  so  well  described  in  The  New  Reforma- 
tion.^ 

The  modern  development  of  politics  and  religion  in  Peru 
may  be  studied  in  its  relation  to  France,  to  Rome,  and  to  the 
immigrants,  missionaries,  travellers,  and  meiehants  who  have 
influenced  the  republic. 

1.  Peruvian  Liberalism  in  its  Relation  to  France. 

As  the  history  of  Religious  Liberty  shows,  the  course 
of  public  feeling  in  Peru  has  been  singularly  parallel  to 

* I quote  the  enthusiastic  and  eloquent  words  uttered  hy  Dr.  Thomas 
Wood,  of  Lima,  in  a conversation  which  will  ev'er  be  memorable  to  me. 

^ Rev.  John  Bain,  The  New  Iteformation. 


SOCIALISM 


103 


that  of  France,  and  its  culmination  should  not  be  far  off.  A 
Bill  for  la  lihertad  religiosa  has  already  been  discussed  by  a 
Parliamentary  Committee,  and  will  be  put  before  Congress  as 
soon  as  other  pressing  matters  shall  have  been  dealt  with.  It 
is  true  that  over  and  over  again  Catholicism  has  outweighed 
Liberalism  in  the  House ; but  so  strong  has  Radical  feeling 
grown,  that  no  one  anticipates  a repetition  of  former  debates. 

“ The  so-called  Liberal  Party  of  Peru,”  writes  Mr.  Ritchie,^ 
“ is  gathered  round  personalities  rather  than  principles.  It 
would  be  possible  for  a fanatical  devotee  of  Romanism  to  be 
an  ardent  Liberal.  The  more  elect  body,  holding  true  political 
convictions,  is  known  as  the  Radical  Party.” 

Many  of  the  young  men  of  Peru  are  in  the  sway  of 
socialistic  ideas.  On  May  1st,  1907,  Arequipa  witnessed  an 
unparalleled  Labour  Day  demonstration.  The  streets  were 
packed  with  men  carrying  red  banners,  and  the  evening 
meeting  in  the  theatre,  controlled  by  Senor  Mostajo,  was 
thronged.  Young  Sehor  Francisco  Mostajo,  with  Senor  Ayulo, 
the  leader  of  Arequipa’s  Radical  students,  and  others  of  their 
university  friends,  had  persuaded  the  well-known  Radical  leadei*. 
Dr.  Francisco  Gomez  de  la  Torre,  to  address  the  men.  And  so 
it  came  about  that  in  Arequipa,  the  Rome  of  Peru — in  the  very 
room  where  a few  weeks  previously  an  Irish  gentleman  had 
hinted  that  the  relation  between  the  Church  and  working- 
classes  was  something  akin  to  that  of  a driver  and  his  mule — 
Dr.  La  Torre  moved  his  audience  to  cheers  and  hisses,  and  to 
wildest  enthusiasm,  by  a magnificent  piece  of  oratoiy,  the 
subject  of  which  was  a plea  for  Socialism. 


2.  Peruvian  Liberalism  in  Relation  to  the  Church 
OF  Rome. 


The  attitude  of  this  growing  Liberal  Party  to  the  Church  of 
Rome  has  been  perfectly  frank.  Romanism  is  antiquated  and 
* Missionary  of  the  R.B.M.U.  in  Liiini. 


104 


UNIVERSITY  LIFE 


intolerant,  and  therefore  in  bitter  hatred  all  sincere  Liberalism 
has  swung  away  from  it. 

Satan  prepares  new  traps  for  the  absorption  of  religious 
thought  in  every  age.  When  the  men  of  Peru  would  no  longer 
passively  submit  to  the  yoke  of  Rome,  he  allured  them  into  the 
slavery  of  freethought;  and  those  who  were  unsatisfied  witli 
materialism  he  tempted  into  spiritualism’s  fatal  maze. 

As  these  young  Liberals  look  upon  the  scenes  of  drunken 
fanaticism  which  characterize  the  festivals  of  the  Church,  is  it 
any  wonder  that  they  turn  in  scorn  from  such  a mockery,  and 
seek  satisfaction  in  Agnosticism  or  Materialism  ? The  following 
words  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  Mayor  of  Cuzco,  at  the  funeral  of 
one  who  for  forty  years  had  been  a teacher  of  infidelity  at  the 
High  School : — “ Chance  brought  his  atoms  together,  and  now 
chance  will  separate  them.”  Again  : “ There  are  but  two  things 
in  life — a hard  struggle  to  live,  and  a brutal  death.” 

Materialism  exists  of  necessity  in  Peru.  The  young  men 
have  rationalistic  literature,  atheistical  professors,  a national 
religious  system  rotten  to  the  core,  but  no  books  and  no  friends 
to  answer  and  explain  their  difficulties  and  show  them  Christ. 

Mr.  Newell,^  during  his  short  but  wonderful  missionary  life 
in  Cuzco,  wrote  of  them — 

“ Once  out  of  the  Romish  Church,  they  abandon  themselves 
to  that  subtly  attractive  god,  ‘ Reason,’  and  are  soon  in  awful 
dai'kness.  By  the  time  twenty-two  is  reached,  they  are  deep  in 
sophistries  and  drifting  towards  the  awful  maelstrom  of 
unsanctified  reason.  The  School  of  Science,  really  a High 
School,  is  a hot-bed  of  atheism ; the  University  the  same,  and 
its  library  has  vile  literature.” 

For  the  coming  statesmen,  professional  men,  and  leaders  of 
Peru,  the  Church  of  Rome  is  doing  nothing.  She  does  not  seem 
to  fear  any  unpleasantness  from  the  study  of  agnosticism  and 
deism  which  is  becoming  so  common  in  the  universities ; she 
appeal’s  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  hypocrisy  which  will  stand 
^ Missionary  of  the  ll.B.M.U.  in  Cuzco. 


From  photographs  by\ 


[f?  LimcdO photographer. 


PERUVIAN  BELLES. 


“DEMETRIUS,  A SILVERSMITH;”  105 

at  the  street  corner  and  jeer  at  religion,  uttering  fearful  oaths 
and  blasphemies,  yet  the  next  moment  kneel  before  a procession, 
bare  the  head  with  the  most  devout,  and  hurriedly  mutter  the 
appropriate  prayer. 

Two  mighty  assets  arc  hers,  and  who  shall  say  that  the 
stress  she  lays  upon  them  is  not  wise  ? Firstly,  the  womanhood 
of  Peru  is  ruled  by  priests ; and  while  this  is  so,  progress  is 
impossible,  for  each  generation  of  lads  enters  the  fight  as 
poorly  equipped  as  was  its  predecessor.  The  recoil  fi'om 
superstition,  ecclesiastical  tyranny,  and  inconsistency  of  life ; 
the  vain  search  for  truth  and  satisfaction  in  materialism  ; — these 
are  repeated  year  after  year ; and  Rome  watches  the  process 
without  apprehension. 

Secondly,  in  spite  of  all  modern  movements,  Rome  still 
retains  influence  enough  to  promote  or  prevent  commercial 
success ; hence  the  religious  problems  of  the  republic  are 
complicated  by  money  interest.  There  are  those  who  fear  God 
and  work  righteousness,  defending  the  rights  of  freedom  of 
con.science  and  of  speech ; but  also  many  whose  only  ambition 
is  self-advancement,  who  will  join  hands  with  the  fanatics 
of  the  Church  and  gravely  ask  concerning  the  intrusion  of 
Protestants — 

“ Why  do  missionaries  not  stay  at  home  ? Wliat  business 
have  they  to  come  here  and  create  trouble  ? ” This  opposition 
is  identical  with  that  organized  against  the  great  missionary 
Paul  by  the  unscrupulous  fortune-tellers  of  Philippi,  or  the 
influential  silversmiths  of  Ephesus. 

“ Experience,  extending  over  a period  of  more  than  thirty 
years  in  South  America,”  wrote  the  late  Mr.  Milne  of  the  Bible 
Society,  “ enables  me  to  testify  that,  in  each  of  its  ten  republics, 
the  masses,  instead  of  opposing  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures, 
or  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  are  ready  to  welcome  both,  until 
their  minds  are  poisoned  by  those  who  have  a financial  interest 
in  keeping  them  in  ignorance.  It  ought  also  to  be  said  that 
there  are  many  noble-minded  men  in  Peru  who  would  gladly 


io6 


UNIVERSITY  LIFE 


welcome  better  days,  but  they  lack  the  faith  in  God  which 
alone  can  deliver  them  and  their  country  from  the  heel  of  the 
oppressor  who  sits  on  the  seven  hills.” 

3.  Peruvian  Libeealisji  in  Relation  to  Foreigners. 

Many  Peruvian  youths  in  their  relation  to  foreigners  dare 
to  break  through  this  system  of  corruption,  and  champion  right 
at  all  cost.  They  invariably  recognize  the  superiority  of  the 
principles  which  guide  the  lives  of  Protestants ; and  many 
have  voluntarily  suffered  persecution  and  loss  through 
associating  with  the  missionaries,  although  no  consideration 
of  personal  salvation  strengthened  tliem  in  this  attitude. 
There  is  no  natural  lack  of  grit  and  courage  about  the  Peruvian, 
but  he  must  have  strength  of  conviction  before  he  will  choose 
any  but  the  easiest  way.  The  following  incident  from  a 
missionary’s  ^ diary  shows  tlie  true  comradeship  which  is 
received  by  Protestant  workers  from  many  of  these  young 
Liberals  : — “ At  Calca  I attended  a political  banquet  which  was 
held  on  the  eve  of  the  nomination  of  the  deputy  for  the 
province.  A good  supply  of  wines  and  licjuors  decorated  the 
table,  and  everyone  seemed  thirsty.  At  the  commencement  of 
the  feast  I announced  that  I was  a total  abstainer,  and  begged 
to  be  excused  from  drinking  anything  but  pure  water.  All 
were  greatly  surprised  and  some  appeared  quite  vexed.  But 
fortunately  for  me  a young  lawyer  sat  by  my  side  who,  during 
his  student  days,  had  attended  Mr.  M'Nairn’s  Bible  Classes  in 
Cuzco.  He  immediately  took  my  part  and  also  refused  every 
drink  but  water.  Many  of  the  most  fanatical  and  conservative 
men  of  Cuzco  were  present,  and  they  gave  us  a lively  time  of  it ; 
but  my  friend  stood  firm  to  the  end,  and  used  all  the  arguments 
that  he  knew  in  support  of  our  position.  This  young  fellow  is 
not  an  abstainer,  but  took  this  stand  simply  to  oblige  one  whom 
he  and  others  knew  to  be  a Protestant.” 

* Allan  Job,  missionary  of  the  R.B.M.U.  on  the  farm  of  Urco,  near  Cuzco. 


BULL-FIGHTING 


107 


The  Radicals  of  Arequipa  are  friends  with  the  Protestants, 
and  are  often  to  be  found  in  the  little  office  of  the  R.B.M.U. 
discussing  such  questions  as  religious  freedom.  So  tender- 
hearted, generous,  and  kind  is  the  Peruvian  by  nature,  that  only 
such  a power  as  that  of  Rome  could  have  made  him  intolerant 
and  revengeful.  By  playing  upon  his  pride,  and  his  heroic  if 
mistaken  ideas  of  religious  duty,  she  has  distorted  an  otherwise 
noble  character,  and  the  Peruvian  has  only  lately  commenced 
to  reassert  his  moral  personality. 

Besides  coming  in  contact  with  Protestantism,  the  Peruvians 
have  now  entered  the  modern  commercial  world.  Numbers 
of  them  are  educated  in  England,  America,  or  Germany,  and 
return  to  Peru  with  enlarged  conceptions  and  broader  tolera- 
tion. 

Thus  we  see  that  young  Peru,  with  the  example  of  France 
before  her,  has  deliberately  left  Rome,  and  is  at  present  specially 
susceptible  to  the  influence  of  foreigners. 

Morals  and  Amusements  of  the  Peruvian  Manhood. — 
The  Peruvian  is  usually  natural,  and  characterized  by  a lack 
of  restraint  which  makes  him  very  attractive.  To  it  may  be 
attributed  his  love  of  ceremony,  his  pleasure  in  simple  childish 
things,  and  also,  perhaps,, his  moral  looseness.  He  groAvs  up, 
generally  speaking,  in  an  immoral  atmosphere.  At  an  early 
age  he  adopts  not  only  a sinful  life,  but  utter  shamelessness  in 
speaking  and  thinking  of  immorality.  Only  in  recent  years 
have  athletic  clubs  been  introduced,  and  helpful  influences 
thus  brought  to  bear  upon  the  University  students.  Before  the 
advent  of  Englishmen  to  Peru,  the  national  sports  were  bull- 
fighting, cock-fighting,  and  gambling.  A passion  for  these  low 
amusements  still  exists,  but  is  naturally  passing  aAA^ay  before  the 
healthy  regime  of  cricket  and  football.  Yet  let  it  be  said  that 
the  Peruvians’  delight  in  bull-fightine’ — to  take  that  as  an 
example  of  their  previous  amusements — was  not  in  its  cruelty 


io8 


UNIVERSITY  LIFE 


but  in  its  skill.  By  heredity  and  habit  they  had  become 
accustomed  to  the  former,  even  as  the  English  sportsman  to 
the  tragic  end  of  the  fox;  but,  knowing  no  finer  sport,  they 
rejoiced  in  the  skill  and  daring  with  which  the  toreador 
baffled  his  mighty  foe.  Upon  the  introduction  of  more  humane 
and  manly  sports,  however,  the  national  good  sense  at  once 
a.ssertcd  itself,  and  to-day  bull-fighting  has  largely  lost  its 
popularity. 

It  were  unnatural  if  the  more  sensuous  and  highly  strung 
Latin  had  purely  Anglo-Saxon  forms  of  amusement ; we  are 
not  surprised,  therefore,  to  observe  dilettante  tastes  in  Peru. 
A common  Spanish  saying  may  be  taken  as  illustrative  of  a 
national  tendency — 

“ Le  gustan  los  ojos  celestiales  y la  guitara,  pero  no  hace 
nada”  (He  delights  in  celestial  eyes  and  the  guitar,  but  he 
does  nothing.) 

Gambling  by  means  of  lottery  tickets  is  common  to  many 
South  American  cities,  and  attracts  the  attention  of  a foreigner 
as  soon  as  he  enters  Lima.  All  those  who  have  no  better 
employment — men,  women,  and  children — arc  selling  lottery 
tickets  on  the  streets. 

“ Ten  thousand  dollars  ! ” they  cry.  “ To  be  drawn  to-day  ! 
Who  will  buy  a ticket  ? ” 

It  is  impossible  to  descend  from  the  street-car,  to  enter  a 
house,  to  approach  the  cathedral,  to  visit  the  President,  or  to 
pass  through  the  slums,  without  being  pestered  by  sellers  of 
lottery  tickets.  Half  the  profits  made  by  this  pernicious 
gambling  system  go  to  the  Church ; thus  Peruvians  are 
deceived  into  thinking  that  when  they  indulge  the  gambling 
instinct  they  are  conferring  benefits  upon  the  pool’,  and  laying 
up  to  themselves  virtue  in  heaven  against  the  day  of  death. 

Limenos  still  retain  much  of  the  passion  and  ardour  of 
their  Spanish  ancestors,  and  also  their  pride.  Mr.  Enoch,  in 
speaking  of  their  contempt  of  work  and  love  of  luxury,  says : 


“STRAIGHT-FLUNG  WORDS  AND  FEW”  109 


“The  high  silk  hat,  the  fashionable  frock-coat,  the  patent 
leather  shoes,  and  the  gold-headed  cane,  are  in  sharper  dis- 
tinction to  the  labourer’s  apparel  and  the  beggar’s  rags  in 
the  Latin-Ainerican  republics  than  in  the  monarchies  of  the 
Old  World.  It  always  strikes  the  Englishman  that  a rigid 
course  of  rough  tweed  suits,  thick-soled  boots,  and  long  tramps 
over  mountain  lands  would  be  exceedingly  beneficial  to  the 
polite  youth  of  Spanish  America  ! ” ^ 

Yet  probably  the  Latin  would  respond  to  this  suggestion 
that,  according  to  his  way  of  thinking,  the  Anglo-Saxon  brings 
too  much  of  the  football -field  into  the  drawing-room;  and 
with  force  he  would  remind  the  traveller  that  these  beaux  of 
Lima,  when  transformed  in  appearance  by  panama  hats, 
ponchos,  and  llama  scarves,  will  weather  cold  and  privations 
in  the  Sierra  of  their  own  land  as  could  few  Englishmen. 

The  contrast  between  Anglo-Saxon  and  Latin  races  is  more 
striking  in  the  New  World  than  the  Old.  We  speak  “after 
the  use  of  the  English,  in  straight-flung  words,  and  few  ” ; 
but  the  Peruvian,  with  his  mellow  musical  tongue  delights  in 
exuberant  eloquence.  Mr.  Enoch  gives  the  following  char- 
acteristic example  of  this  trait,  from  La  Prensa,  a leading 
paper  of  Lima : — 

“Nuptials.  The  virtuous  and  angelical  Sefiorita  Fulana 
has  united  herself  for  ever  with  the  perfect  gentleman  Senor 
Sutano.  In  view  of  the  characteristics  of  so  sympathetic  a 
couple  there  must  ever  shine  upon  their  hearth  the  star  of 
felicity,  perfumed  by  the  delicious  ambient  of  the  pure  and 
virgin  love  which  dwells  in  the  innocent  heart  of  the  spiritual 
spouse.  That  the  sun  of  happiness  may  radiate  always  in  the 
blue  heaven  of  this  marriage  is  the  vehement  desire  of  those 
who,  full  of  rejoicing  with  this  felicity,  sign  themselves — 
their  friends.” 

A recent  Peruvian  author  lamented  the  prevailing  frivolity 
of  the  youths  of  his  country ; they  thought  more  of  dancing 
‘ C.  Reginald  Enoch,  F.R.G.S.,  The  Andes  and  the  Amazon, 


I lO 


UNIVERSITY  LIFE 


academies  than  of  academic  literature,  he  said ; and  were  chiefly 
engaged  in  dancing,  gambling,  and  flirting — “ no  occupations 
for  republicans ! ” 

But  clearly  we  must  not  expect  to  find  Anglo-Saxon 
characteristics  in  Peru.  The  Limeno  youth  becomes  a noble 
I^atin  when  his  ability  is  trained  in  true  manliness,  and  his 
dilettante  tastes  prevented  from  usurping  the  place  of  serious 
purpose  and  action. 

Educatiox. — In  all  parts  of  the  republic  education  is  rapidly 
undermining  the  power  of  the  priests,  and  spreading  the 
Liberal  movement  among  the  better  classes.  During  the  year 
1907,  the  students  of  fanatical  Arequipa  struck  against  their 
Catholic  directors  and  professors,  who  had  managed  to  hold 
their  places  in  spite  of  the  progress  towards  materialism  in 
other  less  religious  towns ; and  the  University  remained  closed 
while  a Governmental  Commis.sion  inquired  into  the  matter. 

The  philosophy  which  has  been  taught  is  almost  wholly 
Jesuitical,  the  history.  Catholic.  This  will  not  satisfy  modern 
free-thinkers,  and  consequently  there  is  a cry  for  up-to-date 
rationalistic  education. 

The  Peruvian  mind  appears  to  be  dilettante-philosophical. 
In  travelling  about  the  country  a foreigner  is  surprised  to  find 
farmers  and  country  gentlemen  prepared  to  discuss  abstruse 
religious  and  social  problems.  The  reason  is  that  in  Peru  the 
farmers  have  almost  invariably  had  a Univensity  education. 
They  spend  a part  of  each  year  on  their  farms  in  the  Sierra, 
and  the  remainder  in  the  political  or  gayer  circles  of  Limenian 
society. 

The  national  system  of  education  and  of  religion  tends  to 
produce  superficial  mental  development,  and  it  is  common 
to  find  Peruvian  students  who  have  read  widely,  but  not 
thought  deeply.  No  generalization,  however,  is  possible.  The 
race  which  has  produced  such  minds  as  Vigil,  Paz  Soldan,  and 
Palma,  has  assuredly  great  mental  powers. 

In  .spite  of  their  desire  for  modern  teaching,  the  students 


WANTED— A Y.M.C.A. 


1 1 1 


of  the  four  universities  of  Peru  live  in  the  scientific  world  of 
years  ago.  Only  a limited  number  of  modern  books  have  been 
ti'anslated  into  Spanish ; these  are  published  in  cheap  editions, 
and  circulated  widely  in  Peru.  But  so  great  have  been  the 
difficulties  met  by  the  comparatively  small  and  recent  Evangelical 
efforts  in  Spanish-speaking  lands  in  general,  that  as  yet  they 
have  been  able  to  provide  practically  no  Christian  literature 
suitable  for  students.  The  young  men  of  Peru  are  disciples 
of  Spencer  and  Darwin,  but  have  never  heard  of  Oliver  Lodge 
and  Lord  Kelvin.  They  have  studied  the  German  philosophers, 
but  read  the  works  of  no  modern  Christian  thinkers.  The 
literature  of  free-thinkers  and  agnostics  is  circulated  widely 
amongst  them,  but  no  Evangelical  and  scientific  books  have 
ever  reached  their  land. 

A Macedonian  call  comes  from  these  young  men  them- 
selves. Mr.  Mott,  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  and 
International  Committee  of  the  Y.M.C.A.,  has  lately  received 
a letter  from  the  Consul-General  of  Peru  in  New  York,  asking 
the  Y.M.C.A.  to  commence  an  effort  for  the  young  men  of 
Lima,  and  promising  moral  and  financial  support  from  prominent 
Peruvian  gentlemen. 

This  work  amongst  students  calls  for  English  and  American 
graduates.  Men  who  can  make  a fox’eign  language  their  own ; 
who  can  enter  into  sports  and  amusements ; who  can  meet  the 
scientific  and  religious  prpblems  of  the  student  mind ; who 
can  live  a consistent  life  through  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  a city  where  everything  shall  conspire  to  undermine 
their  Christianity — such  are  the  missionaries,  more  of  whom 
Peru  is  needing. 


Chapter  XII. — A Desert  and  its  Oasis  City — 

Sunset  over  a limpet  town — A unique  harbour  ivhich 
consists  of  rocky  headlands  where  it  is  sometimes  impossible  to 
land — How  we  climbed  1,000  feet  in  a few  minutes — A town 
which,  “ though  it  has  been  battered  to  pieces  by  earthquakes, 
still  looks  brand  new  ” — The  pretty  faces  behind  the  window- 
bars  of  Arequipa — The  lesson  of  a Chinese  lantern  and  some 
dying  rose-leaves. 


8 


CHAPTER  XII 


A DESERT  AND  ITS  OASIS  CITY 

ov  Trrj  <f>alve6’  oKos  noXidlo  Svpa^t' 

(KTocrdev  p€v  yap  rrdyoi  d^ies,  dpfjii  fie  Kvpa 
^e8pv)(ev  podiov,  Xurarj  fi’  dvedidpope  neTprj. — IIOMER.^ 

I WILL  picture  the  place  to  you,  but  leave  the  name  to  be 
guessed.  A long,  curved,  sandy  shore  reaches  up  from 
the  Pacific  to  sand-covered  hills,  and  thence  to  the  mountains. 
That  is  on  rny  left  as  I sit  on  the  hotel  verandah ; below  is  a 
rocky  shore — more  like  Devon  than  Peru — and  tlie  Pacific, 
which  all  along  the  coast  is  wasting  its  strength  in  foam, 
breakers,  and  spoon-drift,  on  a desert  which  is  placed  as  a 
boundary  not  to  be  passed.  Here,  it  dashes  against  the  rocks, 
sending  up  columns  of  spray,  and  whirls  in  the  sheltered  places, 
and  carries  all  out  to  sea  again  in  its  back-wash.  On  my  right, 
two  steamers  are  smoking  against  the  soft-tinted  grey  sky. 
But,  that  you  may  see  the  nameless  town  stretching  up  the  hill 
behind  me,  let  us  go  on  board  the  outlying  one. 

Waves  roar,  and  long-ridged  Pacific  rollers  break  with  a 
dull-sounding  thud ! Sunset  colours  barely  tint  the  clouds 
with  rose ; the  sea  is  the  green-grey  of  the  German  Ocean  in 
March ; the  rocks  arc  the  bold  broken  headlands  of  Devon, 
with  great  weed-coated  fragments  out  in  the  foam.  For  the 
rest,  comparisons  fail,  and  the  nameless  place  is  unlike  all  the 

' “ Here  there  is  no  place  to  laud  on  from  out  of  the  grey  water.  For 
without  are  sharp  crags,  and  round  them  the  wave  roars  surging,  and  sheer 
the  smooth  rock  rises.” 


A DESERT  AND  ITS  OASIS  CITY 


1 16 

world.  It  is  perched  on  the  edge  of  a rock- fringed  de.sert;  its 
balconies  overhang  the  cliff;  its  sea-shore  houses  are  propped 
up  by  iron  bars  or  wooden  pillars,  which  find  support  in  some 
rocky  ridge  half-way  down  the  precipitous  cliff;  houses  that 
with  three  storeys  face  the  sea,  can  show  but  one  to  the  hills ; 
the  town  looks  as  if  it  must  subside  one  day  into  the  foaming 
Pacific. 

I remember  when  I was  still  so  small  that  the  table  was 
above  eye-level,  how  I used  to  watch  the  flies  crawl  along  its 
edge,  steadily,  thoughtfully,  with  an  air  of  .surveying  the  table- 
cloth. In  the  same  meditative  spii'it  they  would  reach  the 
corner,  half  turn,  and  then  stop  to  take  bearings.  No  fly  ever 
fell  over ; and  yet,  on  the  edge  there,  each  seemed  to  be 
meditating  suicide.  That  is  just  like  my  nameless  town.  The 
walla,  sticks,  and  props  which  climb  up  from  the  shore,  keep 
the  houses  from  descending  into  the  sea,  and  once  a little 
cluster  is  balanced  on  the  edge,  the  rest  of  the  town  climbs 
up  the  sandy  hillside  above  it.  These  shanties  grow  like  the 
hyacinths  which  are  just  out  of  reach  on  the  St.  Andrews 
cliffs.  They  seem  to  sprout  from  each  other.  Foundations  rise 
from  gables ; spires  but  reach  the  walls  of  the  street  beyond. 

We  return  to  the  shore  just  befoi’e  the  sun  dips  below  the 
horizon ; the  sky  behind  the  mountains  has  flushed  a wonderful, 
handsome,  angry  purple,  and  the  long  .sand-stretches  look  blue 
in  the  gathering  shadows.  Then  the  distant  western  sky  .steals 
the  colour,  and  the  east  fades  to  grey.  Now  the  sun  has  gone, 
and  only  an  oil  lamp  in  a dim  glass  globe  shines  out  on  the 
headland,  beyond  which  the  steamers’  lights  are  discernible. 
There  is  a grey  sea  and  a grey  sky,  and  even  the  white  foam 
and  spray  are  misty  in  the  twilight.  A flaring  lamp  has  been 
lit  on  the  verandah,  where  the  air  is  getting  quite  cold.  So 
good-night — and  sunrise  bring  you  greetings  from — have  you 
gue.sscd  the  name  already  ? — from  Mollendo. 

Lima  the  cosmopolitan  is  three  days  to  the  north  of  us  now  ; 
we  have  landed  in  Southern  Peru  and  .shall  soon  be  on  our 


THE  VOLCANO’S  SHADOW  117 

way  to  Titicaca,  the  ancient  lake  from  the  shores  of  which 
came  the  Incas ; and  to  Cuzco,  the  capital  of  their  empire. 

Of  all  journeys  I have  ever  been  this  is  the  most  wonderful ! ^ 
It  was  wonderful  skirting  the  Eiger  Glacier ; it  was  wonderful 
being  lifted  up  on  that  cog-line  from  Lauterbrunnen  to  Miirren ; 
it  was  wonderful  climbing  the  winding  track  into  Mexico  City. 
But  this  ! This  journey  from  Mollendo  to  Arequipa  is  far  more 
wonderful  than  travelling  in  Switzerland  or  Mexico ! 

At  11.30  a.m.  we  steamed  out  of  the  station  on  the  sandy 
shore  of  Mollendo,  and  this  afternoon,  at  five  o’clock,  we  are 
due  to  arrive  in  Arequipa  of  the  Volcano’s  Shadow.  First,  we 
ran  along  the  shore,  ever  getting  farther  from  the  blue 
expanse  of  the  Pacific  and  its  long  white  shore-breakers.  Now, 
we  are  over  the  first  ridge ; a range  of  hills  divides  us  from 
the  sea;  and  we  steam  on  towards  the  towering  Andes,  over 
the  intervening  stretch  of  smooth  red  sand  which  never  seems 
to  lessen.  At  every  mile,  the  mountains  are  opening  up  to  our 
view — mysterious,  cloud-garbed  figures  in  grey ; but  now  and 
then  the  sun  catches  some  peak,  and  it  stands  out  in  fine  relief 
against  the  misty  mountains  beyond.  Before  we  have  traversed 
another  thirty  kilometres,  we  shall  be  higher  than  any  mountain 
of  our  native  land. 

At  an  altitude  of  6,000  feet,  strange  rocks  rise  out  of 
the  red  sand,  their  rugged  sides  mingling  all  the  greens  and 
reds  and  yellows  of  rusty  copper.  Below  us  a deep  green 
.stream  is  winding  through  a canyon  of  basalt  pillars.  Now 
the  hills  around  show  traces  of  the  unprecedented  rains  of  this 
year.  Here  is  a suspicion  of  green ; here  is  short  grass ; and 
now  we  have  reached  fields  of  emerald  alfalfa,  Peru’s  valuable 
pasturage. 

Before  us  lie  the  snows  of  Charchani,  El  Misti,  and  Pichu- 
pichu,  forming  the  first  mountain  barrier  to  the  desert.  The 
Chili  River,  flowing  down  from  the  Central  Andes,  winds 
’ Notes  from  my  diary  written  en  route. 


ii8 


A DESERT  AND  ITS  OASIS  CITY 


between  Charchani  and  El  Misti,  unites  with  a stream  from 
Picliu-pichu,  and  so  makes  its  way  into  the  Vitor  River  and 
down  to  the  Ocean.  At  the  junction  of  the  two  former  rivers, 
not  far  from  the  foot  of  El  Misti,  some  fifty  square  miles  of  the 
desert  are  irrigated.  This  oasis  refreshes  the  traveller’s  eye  as 
he  nears  the  Andes,  and  Arequipa,  nestling  white  in  its  green 
valley,  appears  to  him  a perfect  garden  city. 

“ Arequipa,”  it  has  been  said,  “ is  one  of  the  neatest,  prettiest, 
and  brightest  towns  in  South  America.”  What  wonder  that 
this  City  of  the  Volcano’s  Shadow  is  beautiful  ? Light  reflected 
from  the  snows  falls  upon  her  white  stone  houses.  Stars  which 
seem  to  hang  low  in  the  blue,  like  dewdrops  on  unseen  harebells, 
gaze  down  into  her  quiet  'patios  (inner  courtyards),  with  their 
luxuriant  flowers.  Daily  as  the  sun  rises  behind  El  Misti,  or  sets 
over  the  verdant  plain,  a sky  of  crimson,  gold,  and  purple  arches 
above  her,  and  Arequipenos  learn  to  love  bright  colours  and  all 
that  is  gay  and  beautiful. 

The  .stone  houses  which  line  the  streets  of  Arequipa  are 
smoothly  plastered,  and  painted  in  delicate  tints  of  cream,  rose, 
gold,  or  pale  blue.  The  slow-moving  passers-by  are  mostlj" 
smart  young  men  and  manta-clad  women.  The  girls  are  very 
pretty — dark-eyed  and  vivacious — their  olive  faces  swathed  in 
black  mantillas  or  set  off  by  black  lace  artistically  pinned  over 
the  head.  From  behind  the  window-bars  which  characterize 
Arequipena  houses,  these  beauties  watch  the  pas.sers-by.  They 
are  decked  in  bright  silks  and  jewellery,  and  powdered  for  the 
occasion  ; they  have  cushions  set  in  window-seats  on  which  to 
lean,  and  their  empty  lives  know  few  other  occupations  or 
pleasures.  Often  in  the  stillness  of  wonderful  starry  nights, 
music  will  sound  beneath  one  of  these  windows,  and  as  in 
ages  long  gone  by  in  England  and  Spain,  black  eyes  will  peep 
cautiously  from  the  upper  rooms  to  view  the  serenaders. 
Here  the  .spirit  of  the  Middle  Ages  .still  survives  in  twentieth 
century  surroundings,  and  the  fashionable  bright  little  city 
surprises  visitors  by  its  old-world  custom.s. 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  VOLCANO’S  SHADOW. 

On  our  left  is  the  half-dry  bed  of  the  Chili  River  ; on  our  right  the  white  walls,  and  flat  or  vaulted  roofs  of  Arequipa  ; 
in  the  distance  El  .Misti,  snow-bound  to  its  crater's  etlge,  19,200  It.  above  the  I'acific. 


ROSE-LEAVES 


119 

The  three  classes  of  people  which  we  meet  everywhere 
on  the  Sierra,  are  quite  distinct  in  Arequipa.  In  her  poorer 
suburbs  and  daily  market  there  are  a few  Indians — reserved, 
brown-faced  folk  from  surrounding  villages.  The  larger 
number  of  the  poor  are  known  as  cholos,  or  those  of  Indian 
extraction  who  speak  Spanish.  But  Arequipa  is  essentially 
the  city  of  the  gente  decente,  or  monied  classes.  She  boasts 
many  an  aristocratic  family  of  wealth  and  refinement.  Indeed, 
the  whole  tone  of  her  society  is  noticeably  superior  to  that  of 
most  other  Peruvian  towns.  Bull-fighting  is  tabooed  even  by 
the  Church ; gambling  by  means  of  lottery  tickets  has  won  but 
little  popularity ; and  Arequipena  homes  manifest  more  of  the 
happy  family  life  of  an  English  household  than  is  usually  seen 
in  Peru. 

Arequipa  is  a fashionable  devotee,  and  very  agreeable  to 
visitors  will  she  make  her  religious  practices. 

It  is  Sunday.  White  spires  glitter,  flags  wave,  pretty  eyes 
glance  from  beneath  fine  lace  mantas,  little  children  touch  with 
pride  their  rich  clothes ; the  city  looks  her  best — vivacious, 
luxurious,  religious ! 

A circus  is  in  full  swing,  its  band  playing  lustily ; the  Host 
is  passing  it  with  two  other  bands  which  do  their  best  to  drown 
the  circus  music.  In  various  streets  trails  of  gunpowder,  with 
bombs  marking  every  span,  are  exploding  with  tremendous 
reports  ; rockets  are  bursting  over  our  heads ; the  sky  is  strewn 
with  wind-blown  smoke ; but  if  the  saints  pay  as  little  heed 
to  the  explosions  as  do  Arequipenos,  the  sole  merit  of  this 
religion  consists  in  the  employment  of  a number  of  poor  people 
in  making  fireworks. 

Night  reigns — silent,  starlit ! and  the  pink  light  of  a paper 
lantern  falling  across  the  road  reveals  what  the  procession  has 
left — sadly  symbolic  of  the  Feast-Day’s  influence — some  dying 
rose-leaves ! 


Wf-  ^ 


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4. 


4 ' 


Chapter  XIII. — Life  on  the  Roof  of  Peru — 

Over  the  second  hiyhest  railway  pass  in  the  world — On 
the  untrodden  of  the  land  of  the  Incas — Where  the 

Amazon  rises — “ The  Paradise  of  Fern  ” — A wild  ride  in  an 
ancient  stage-coach  drawn  by  eight  %cnmanageahle  mules — The 
contrasts  of  Cuzco. 


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‘ > 


CHAPTER  XIII 


LIFE  ON  THE  ROOF  OF  PERU 


E left  Arequipa  in  the  cold,  damp,  g-rey  hours  of  early 


morning.  Misti,  Charchani,  and  the  snow  ranges  which 
wall  the  oasis  were  lost  in  mists ; only  fields  of  alfalfa,  and 
a lowering  grey  sky  were  visible.  But  we  soon  wound  up  the 
mountain  sides,  between  Arequipa’s  two  great  peaks,  and  came 
out  into  the  sunshine  at  Pampa  de  Arrieros  (“The  Field  of 
^Muleteers  ”). 

From  there  a winding  mountain  track  led  us  higher  and 
higher,  until  at  14,000  feet  we  had  reached  a great  plain,  covered 
with  low  stubbly  pasture.  Alpacas  were  feeding  in  herds — 
pretty,  delicate  creatures,  which  planted  their  small  well-formed 
legs  squarely,  and  held  high  their  dignified  little  heads  as  we 
whistled  by.  Behind  them  blue  hills  stretched  away  to  a 
glittering  white  ridge  against  the  grey  sky. 

Within  half  an  hour  we  were  crossing  a snow  plain,  marked 
only  by  yaretas  (patches  of  moss  used  as  firewood).  This  was 
Crucere  Alto ; we  were  14,666  feet  high — three  miles  above  the 
Pacific — in  the  heart  of  the  mists.  Only  rounded  mountain 
lieads,  peering  one  over  the  other,  broke  the  level  of  the  plain. 
El  Misti,  half  lost  in  clouds,  was  above  us  still,  but  we  had 
climbed  higher  than  all  other  surrounding  peaks ! Clouds  and 
mountains  were  below  us;  pinnacles  as  high  as  Mt.  Blanc 
seemed  no  more  than  hill.s.  We  were  on  one  of  the  two  highest 


* “ When,  very  early,  rosy-fingered  Dawn  shone  forth.” 
123 


124 


LIFE  ON  THE  ROOF  OF  PERU 


tablelands  on  earth — the  almost  untrodden  plain  of  the  land 
of  the  Incas.  We  had  passed  the  highest  point — with  the  one 
exception  of  the  pass  in  Northern  Peru — reached  any  railwa}'^ 

in  the  world. 

Down,  down — swiftly,  steadily ! Down,  down,  out  of  mists 
into  sunshine,  from  snow  to  green  fields ! We  were  winding 
through  a canyon,  then  crossing  an  iron  bridge  with  a river 
far  below.  Pools  reflected  hills  and  sunshine,  feeding  llamas, 
alpacas,  and  vicunas. 

Down  still,  until  the  hills  were  covered  with  pale  green 
verdure.  The  sky  was  Italian  blue,  banked  with  great  white 
clouds  in  the  shadows  of  which  the  distant  hills  were  purple. 
Rivers  were  rushing  down  with  us  from  the  mountains ; pretty, 
rocky  headlands  rose  from  the  green  open  country,  and  oc- 
casionally we  passed  a group  of  Indians  with  mules.  Gradually 
the  sunshine  faded,  and  when  we  reached  our  destination  on 
the  shore  of  Lake  Titicaca, 

rj(\ios  fxsTevifTCTtTO  /3ouXvrdvde.^ 

From  Titicaca  along  the  great  plateau,  northwards,  was  the 
last  stage  of  our  journey.  Cuzco,  the  City  of  the  Sun  and 
home  of  the  Incas,  was  but  two  days’  travel  distant,  and  I felt 
like  Hiawatha  nearing  the  home  of  Minnehaha,  when — 

“The  way  seemed  long  before  him, 

And  his  heart  outran  his  footsteps.” 

About  ninety  miles  north  of  Titicaca  our  train  stopped  at 
La  Raj\a,  where  in  a dark  tarn  is  one  of  the  sources  of  the 
Amazon.  Standing  on  the  bleak  hills  of  the  Vilcanota  Pass, 
we  could  see  a tiny  streamlet  creeping  slowly  to  the  north- 
east. It  was  destined  to  swell  the  Amazon  as  it  falls  into  the 
Atlantic,  after  a course  of  3,000  miles.  Only  a few  yards  away 
the  waters  were  slowly  yet  surely  taking  the  opposite  direction. 
They  were  destined  to  flow  into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

1 “ The  sun  was  wending  to  the  time  of  the  loosing  of  cattle.” — Homer. 


/ rrrr’/r 


Lake  Titicaca 


The  photo  recalls  memories  of  stern  Aymara  faces  and  graceful 
balsas,  whispering  lake-wavelets  and  sparkling  sunshine,  glassy  reilec- 
tions  and  swaying  reeds. 


WHERE  THE  AMAZON  RISES  127 

Tlie  river  which  rises  at  La  Raya  is  known  as  the  Vilcamayu, 
or  Urubamba.  Some  400  miles  north  of  its  source  it  joins  the 
Apuriinac,  and  flows  into  the  Marandn  or  Amazon,  in  Northern 
Peru.  Its  valley  is  called  “ The  Paradise  of  Peru.”  The  Incas 
chose  it  as  the  seat  of  their  ancient  civilization ; they  cultivated 
its  rich  soil,  irrigated  it  from  the  snows  which  shut  it  in, 
terraced  its  hillsides,  and  built  their  palaces  and  fortresses  on 
rocky  crags  which  looked  down  on  the  silver  coils  of  its  beauti- 
ful river. 

The  aboriginal  population  is  denser  here  than  in  any  other 
part  of  Peru.  Little  Indian  towns  line  the  Vilcamayu  all  along 
its  course,  and  large  farmhouses,  surrounded  by  clusters  of 
green  trees,  nestle  under  its  mountain  walls. 

Never  was  a valley  more  beautiful ; at  the  end  of  the  wet 
season  the  full  river  flows  rapidly  over  its  pebbly  bed.  A 
footpath  follows  its  course,  or  winds  on  the  dizzy  edge  of  hill- 
sides overhanging  it.  Even  from  the  precipitous  cliffs  above, 
green  barley  is  waving,  and  patches  of  bright  maize  or  varie- 
gated quimia,  the  most  hardy  of  grains,  mingle  their  colours 
with  that  of  the  broom,  the  scent  of  which  fills  all  the  valley. 
Above  tower  walls  of  stratified  rock,  and  on  every  commanding 
crag  a dark  Inca  fortress  stands  out  against  the  azure.  Snow 
mountains  guard  the  historic  vale,  and  the  musical  murmur 
of  the  Vilcamayu  blends  all  sounds  into  one  harmonious  whole. 

The  train  takes  us  as  far  as  Checacupe,  and  the  remaining 
sixty  miles  to  Cuzco  arc  travelled  in  an  ancient  stage-coach 
di*awn  by  eight  obstreperous  mules. 

We  are  now  approaching  the  capital  of  the  Empire  of  the 
Incas,  and  these  quiet  brown-skinned  folk,  who  brighten  the 
dusty  road  with  their  brilliant  clothes,  are  the  descendants  of 
those  famous  monarchs’  subjects. 

We  have  seen  something  of  the  gay  cosmopolitan  streets 
of  Lima — the  city  of  Peru’s  future;  we  have  watched  with 
wonder  the  religious  holiday-makers,  modern  business  men,  and 


128 


LIFE  ON  THE  ROOF  OF  PERU 


mediaeval  serenaders  who  meet  in  Arequipa — the  city  of  Peru’s 
present;  and  now  we  have  climbed  to  the  wonderful  plateau 
between  the  Andean  ranges,  and  in  the  heart  of  towering 
mountains  have  discovered  a sheltered  valley  where  nestles 
Cuzco — the  city  of  Peru’s  past. 

For  eight  hundred  miles  towards  the  north,  and  four 
hundred  miles  towards  the  south,  stretches  the  Sierra.  So 
elevated  is  this  part  of  Peru  that  one  would  expect  it  to  be 
uniformly  bleak  and  cold,  but  physically  it  is  a land  of  contrasts. 
Two  mountain  knots  divide  the  plateau  into  four  distinct  parts : 
north  of  the  Cerro  de  Pasco  knot  is  the  first  section — the 
beautiful  snow- walled  valley  of  Huaylas;  the  second  is  the 
province  of  Cerro  de  Pasco  itself — high,  bleak,  and  cheerless; 
the  Vilcamayu  valley  forms  a third  section,  one  flooded  with 
sunshine,  and  wrapped  in  air  soft  with  the  scent  of  flowers; 
and  south  of  the  Vilcanota  knot  the  bare  plain  of  Titicaca 
stretches  drear  and  almost  uninhabited.  Thus  alternate  sections 
of  the  Sierra  are  exposed  and  mountainous ; while  those  inter- 
vening are  composed  of  high  pampas  broken  by  sheltered 
valleys  following  the  course  of  the  Amazon’s  head-waters. 

Sierra  life  is  well  illustrated  in  the  province  of  Cuzco  by 
remarkable  contrasts  of  population,  commerce,  and  religion. 

Cuzco  itself  is  a town  of  mixed  races.  Out  of  its  19,000 
inhabitants,  only  5,000  understand  any  Spanish ; the  rest  are 
Kechua-speaking,  brown-skinned  people.  Strong-limbed  and 
brightly  clothed  are  these  Indians ; their  handsome  silent  faces 
look  from  under  broad  flat  hats;  their  hardened  shoeless  feet 
move  silently  over  the  city’s  cobbles ; their  red,  blue,  and 
green  hand- woven  clothes  give  colour  to  the  old  city.  Four 
thousand  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cuzco  call  themselves  blancos 
or  gente  decente.  They  are  not  white,  but  the  strain  of  Indian 
blood  which  crives  colour  to  their  faces  should  be  their 
pride  rather  than  their  shame.  Yet  tliey  look  down  on  the 
Indians  as  creatures  little  above  the  mongrel  dogs  which  swarm 
in  the  streets. 


TRAVELLING  IN  PERU 


129 


FT. 

20,000 

15.000 

10.000 

5,000 


I._S  p.  X cn  W.  NonTRKRN  PniitT. 


5 

C»ja/TJAf«k 

FT. 

20,000 

15.000 

10.000 
5,000 


III.— 13  S.  X 74  \V.  SoitTiiERN  Peru. 


M'’  Sorolk 


i 


IV.— 17  S.  X 74  W.  Southern  Peru. 


^■uAf.r  rtfipcs 


9 


TRANSVERSE  SECTIONS  OF  THE  ANDES. 
(To  illustrcdc  travelling  in  Peru.) 


130 


LIFE  ON  THE  ROOF  OF  PERU 


Yes,  this  is  a city  of  contrasts;  old-time  black  satin  skirts 
trail  over  the  cobbles  trod  by  Indians  and  their  llamas ; valuable 
Spanish  mantas  may  be  seen  touching  rough  rebosos,  or  head 
cloths  manufactured  in  Manchester,  and  well-made  tweeds  of 
Indian  weaving.  Young  Peruvians,  studying  at  the  University 
of  Cuzco  and  hoping  to  spend  some  years  at  one  of  the  Con- 
tinental Universities,  mix  in  the  streets  with  Indian  youths, 
whose  long  black  hair  hangs  around  almost  femininely  beautiful 
faces. 

In  Cuzco  foreigners  cannot  pass  without  notice : the  few 
English  missionaries  are  well-known,  also  the  Turkish  shop- 
keepers, a French  Company,  a German,  and  some  Italian  firms. 
But  few  others  climb  even  for  a visit  to  these  remote  Andean 
heights. 

This  proportion  of  classes  is  characteristic  of  the  Sierra : the 
nucleus  of  gente  decente,  the  few  foreign  merchants,  and  the 
dense  Indian  population. 

Out  on  the  road  leading  into  Cuzco,  a traction  engine  is 
clouding  the  brilliant  Peruvian  sky  with  its  smoke,  forcing  the 
passing  mule-train  to  stand  aside,  and  the  Indians  to  drive  their 
llamas  on  to  the  pampa.  The  engine  is  carrying  foreign  imports 
into  Cuzco ; the  mules  are  bearing  the  products  of  the  eastern 
valleys  down  to  Arequipa ; and  the  llamas,  with  their  cargo  of 
sacks,  represent  the  method  of  transport  used  in  Peru  for  fiv'e 
hundred  years  or  more. 

Cuzco,  like  most  Sierra  towns,  is  still  out  of  reach  of  the 
railway;  yet  two  hundred  thousand  pounds’  worth  of  tropical 
products  passes  through  it  every  year.  Prosperous  foreign 
business  houses  are  growing  up  in  the  city,  and  these  make 
Cuzco’s  imports  equal  to  her  exports. 

At  the  feast  held  in  honour  of  the  Virgin  of  Mercy,  the 
patroness  of  the  Peruvian  army,  I noticed  another  of  Cuzco’s 
contrasts:  eight  women  were  standing  in  the  chancel  of  La 


CUZQUEKO  contrasts  131 

Merced,  black-robed,  with  the  red  ribbons  of  some  religious 
order  round  their  necks,  and  tall  candles  in  their  hands. 
Through  Mass,  through  a sermon,  they  stood  thei-e,  silent  and 
motionless,  burning  their  candles  before  the  high  altar.  Mean- 
while, a young  fellow  sitting  in  front  of  me  had  taken  a pencil 
from  his  pocket,  and  sketched  a clever  caricature  of  the 
Mercederian  px'eacher. 

Yes,  Cuzco  is  a city  of  religious  contrasts, — of  Catholic 
fervour  and  materialistic  indifference.  To  the  masses,  religion 
is  a crude,  pagan  superstition ; to  the  devotees  among  the  better 
classes  it  is  “ life  ” ; to  the  educated  youth  of  Cuzco  it  is  a 
farce ! The  gaudy  images  in  the  Jesuit  Church  stand  in  niches 
not  many  yards  from  the  walls  of  the  University  Library, 
where  the  works  of  Huxley,  Darwin,  and  Spencer  are  found 
upon  the  shelves.  Cuzco  is  one  of  the  most  impregnable  strong- 
holds of  Romanism — radical,  unmodified,  unvarnished — yet, 
on  its  intellectual  side,  it  is  as  strong  a centre  of  agnosticism 
as  exists  in  the  country. 

But  the  picture,  with  all  its  strength  of  light  and  shade, 
is  not  yet  complete.  While  some  gaudy  image  staggers 
through  the  street,  borne  by  thirty  or  forty  drunken 
Indians;  while  the  student  stands  bareheaded  at  the  street 
corner  with  a cynical  smile  on  his  face;  from  the  windows 
of  the  white-washed  room  above  the  portales  (cloisters  of 
the  town  square),  the  familiar  hymn  rings  out  in  Spanish 
words — 

“ Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee  ! Nearer  to  Thee  ! ” 

Once  again  Cuzco’s  contrasts  are  charactei'istic  of  the  Sierra. 
As  yet  only  a few  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ  have  advanced  to  its 
stern  battlefield,  and,  like  David,  they  have  had  to  challenge  a 
giant  in  the  Name  of  the  Living  God.  His  armies  face  them, 
drawn  up  in  three  gigantic  battalions  : Catholicism,  Materialism, 
and  Paganism.  In  every  Sierra  home  are  the  determined 
soldiers  of  the  first  division ; in  the  lax’ger  towxxs  are  members  of 


132 


LIFE  ON  THE  ROOF  OF  PERU 


the  second ; and  in  the  Indian  hamlets  of  her  mountain  plains 
is  the  tliird  part  of  the  army. 

Day  is  at  dawn  on  the  Sierra  of  Peru.  Ignorance  as  a dense 
mist  hangs  over  the  country ; superstition,  like  a foul  miasma, 
fills  the  valleys ; Romisli  supremacy,  a towering  mountain-chain, 
looms  black  and  mighty.  But  hilltops  have  caught  the  first 
beams  of  the  Light  of  the  East ; over  far-stretching  mountain 
pampas  the  grey  of  liberty-love  has  begun  to  break.  God 
grant  that  the  contrasts  of  early  dawn  and  lingering  shadows 
may  .soon  be  lost  in  the  full  light  of  day  ! 


Chapter  XIV. — The  Cry  of  the  Children — 

Where  child-life  has  no  blossom — Siyhts  in  a street  of 
stench  and  sin — Mothers  of  fifteen  years  old — Child-slaves — 
The  treegedy  of  respectable  neglect. 


133 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  CRY  OF  THE  CHILDREN 


“ Sweetest  thing  on  earth, 
Loveliest  out  of  heaven — 


Babbie,  little  angel,  to  my 
Longing  spirit  given  ; 


In  thy  tiny  hand 
Lies  God’s  dearest  gift. 


In  thine  eyes  the  fairest  light 
Heaven  on  earth  can  lift.” 


Lucy  Guinness  Kumm. 


HILDREN  ! How  they  swarm  in  Cuzco  ! They  sprawl  in 


the  roads,  and  squat  on  the  door-stones ; they  stand  in  the 
dark  corners  of  the  Indian  shops,  and  play  by  the  open  drains. 
Tliey  surround  the  booths  in  the  plaza,  and  ride  in  the  mules’ 
paniers.  Children  are  everywhere,  unwashed,  uncared  for ! 

We  are  making  our  way  down  Calle  San  AndrSs  towards 
the  old  park. 

Look  at  the  children,  friends ! 

My  heart  still  aches  whenever  I see  them,  but  it  is  harder 
now  than  it  was  six  months  ago ; my  senses  shrink  from  the 
hideous  results  of  sin  and  ignorance,  but  they  are  more  inured 
to  the  sights  and  smells  of  Cuzco  than  they  were. 

Look  at  the  children,  friends  ! 

Is  this  the  childhood  of  a Christian  land  ? Nay — the 
terrible  words  written  of  heathenism  are  true  of  Peru — ■ 

“ Children  are  spawned  and  not  born.  Motherhood  is  a 
negligible  quality.  There  is  no  blossom  in  its  child-life;  and 


THE  CRY  OF  THE  CHILDREN 


138 

child -servants,  not  more  than  seven  years  old,  who  were  daily 
beaten  by  a bad-tempered  mistress.  I have  seen  the  un- 
fortunate victims  of  the  compadrazco  ^ system,  slaves  to  their 
godmothers ; I have  seen  children,  ill  and  dying,  for  whom  no 
one  cared.  I know  a little  girl  of  seven,  who  a few  months 
ago  saw  “ mother’s  ” body  taken  away  to  the  cemetery.  Since 
that  day  she  has  “ minded  the  shop  ” all  alone,  and  kept  house 
for  father,  who  only  comes  home  at  nights,  and  is  often  away 
for  weeks  at  a time. 

Some  facts  are  very  hard  to  write.  All  that  I am  going 
to  tell,  and  much  that  is  worse  and  cannot  be  written,  has 
been  going  on  for  years,  and  we  have  never  troubled  to  find 
it  out.  God  all  the  time  has  seen,  and  not  one  of  us  His 
servants  has  understood  the  longing  of  His  heart. 

All  over  the  Sierra  there  are  little  child-slaves.  In 
Arcquipa  there  ax’e  some  three  thousand  of  these  Indiacitos, 
or  little  Indians,  and  four-fifths  of  their  number  are  cruelly 
treated ; while  the  good  treatment  of  the  remaining  one-fifth, 
with  rare  exceptions,  consists  in  the  fact  that  they  are  not 
brutally  beaten,  and  do  not  suffer  much  hunger.  There  have 
always  been  a few  Indians  who  have  brought  their  children  to 
Arequipa  to  give  them  for  a few  years  to  those  who  promise 
to  teach  them  to  read.  During  the  drought  of  1904  the 
maize  crops  failed,  and  cruel-eyed  starvation  stared  into  the 
Indian  homes.  Then  it  was  that  the  Indiacitos  were  taken  by 
the  thousand  to  towns,  and  given  away  or  sold  for  a few 
shillings,  to  save  the  mothers  and  other  little  ones  in  the 
mountain  huts  from  death  and  starvation. 

A recent  letter  from  Peru  ^ brought  the  story  of  little 
Catalina.  “ Over  a year  ago,  Mei’cedes,  her  Indian  mother, 
gave  her  to  an  Arequipefia  lady  for  a loan  of  sixteen  shillings, 

' System  of  sponsors.  Sec  Chapter  XXII.,  page  247. 

* From  the  Rev.  D.  F.  Watkins,  a missionary  of  long  experience  in 
Mexico,  who  visited  Peru,  and  whose  account  of  the  Indiacitos  is  frequently 
quoted  throughout  this  chapter. 


/?> 


An  Indiacito 

A little  Indian  boy  and  his  baby  mistress  are  looking  at  you. 
Do  you  notice  unnatural  gravity  and  hardness  in  the  face  of  the 
boy  ? He  is  a slave  ! 


139 


CHILD-SLAVERY 


141 

until  such  time  as  Mercedes  could  redeem  her  child.  Four 
months  ago  Mercedes,  who  earned  eiglit  shillings  a month, 
heard  of  her  little  daiighter’s  sufferings  at  her  mistress’s 
hands.  The  mother  had  by  this  time  saved  sixteen  shillings, 
so  she  went  in  haste  to  redeem  her  child.  But  the  woman 
who  owned  Catalina  wanted  a large  interest  on  the  sixteen 
shillings,  which  Mercedes  was  not  able  to  pay.  She  was  only 
an  Indian  woman,  and  so  the  mistress  did  not  hesitate  to  take 
her  into  a room  and  beat  her  unmercifully.  Then  she  went  to 
the  authorities  to  complain  of  Mercedes’  disrespect,  and  of  her 
unjust  demand  that  the  child  should  be  freed  when  the  interest 
on  the  sixteen  shillings  had  not  been  paid.  Yet  for  a whole 
year  Catalina  had  served  her  faithfully  without  any  remunera- 
tion.” 

One  of  the  native  believers  in  Arequipa  tells  the  story  of 
little  Juan,  another  of  these  child -slaves.  His  head  was 
covered  with  the  scars  of  gashes  his  mistress  Antonia  had  cut. 
His  body  was  often  marked  with  black  and  blue  stripes. 
Antonia  would  hold  the  child’s  hand  on  the  floor  and  pound  it 
with  the  heel  of  her  shoe,  leaving  it  badly  bruised.  Like  other 
Arequipehas,  this  cruel  mistress  believed  that  kindness  would 
spoil  Indian  children,  and  followed  the  custom  of  cutting  little 
Juan’s  wrist  with  the  jagged  piece  of  every  dish  he  broke,  that 
the  bleeding  cuts  might  act  as  a charm  to  make  the  child  more 
careful.  Life  was  a burden  to  the  Indiacito,  but  his  piteous 
childhood  provoked  no  compassion  in  Arequipa.  One  day 
he  fell  into  a stream,  and  a short  time  after  the  accident  the 
Father  of  Pity  took  little  Juan  to  a Better  Home. 

The  same  Christian  was  out  one  evening  in  the  streets  of 
Arequipa,  when  she  met  an  Indiacito  belonging  to  a gentleman 
of  wealth  and  education.  The  little  boy  had  tried  to  run  away 
from  his  cruel  master,  but  was  lost  in  the  strange  sti’eets. 
“ Bread ! bread ! bread ! ” he  moaned,  as  he  stumbled  along, 
confused  and  nearly  blind  from  hunger.  Sofia  spoke  to  him 
kindly,  but  the  child  cried  again,  “ Bread  ! bread  ! ” She  took 


142 


THE  CRY  OF  THE  CHILDREN 


him  home,  fed  him,  and  put  him  to  bed,  but  on  the  following 
day  his  master  reclaimed  him.  He  was  not  destined,  however, 
to  continue  under  this  tyx’anny.  Sickness  laid  hold  upon  his 
body,  wasted  to  a skeleton  by  starvation,  and  death  released 
him  from  his  earthly  sorrows. 

“ Delight  and  liberty,  the  simple  creed 
Of  childhood,  whether  bu.sy  or  at  rest, 

With  new-fledged  hojje  still  fluttering  in  his  breast.” 

What  mockery  the  poet’s  words  sound  in  face  of  the  facts 
of  Peru’s  childhood ! I have  seen  the  crushed  blossoms,  their 
fresh  beauty  gone,  and  when  I try  to  voice  their  silent  suffer- 
ing in  appeal  to  Christendom,  hot  tears  come. 

A letter  from  Mrs.  M^Nairn,^  of  Cuzco,  tells  the  sad  tale  of 
the  suffering  of  Peru’s  little  girls : — 

“ We  often  hear  of  the  sorrows  of  the  poor  child- wives  and 
widows  of  India,”  she  writes,  “ and  the  tale  is  heart-breaking 
indeed ; but  when  have  we  heard  of  the  poor  children  of  Peru, 
who  have  never  been  wives,  and  never  will  be,  though  they 
are  mothers  at  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age  ? Since  I have 
been  here  we  have  been  called  to  four  such  children  under 
fifteen  j'^ears  of  age.  The  last  one  I attended  I do  not  believe 
was  fourteen,  though  they  said  she  was  more.  She  lived  with 
an  elder  woman  in  one  room,  and  in  all  my  nursing  among  the 
poor  I have  never  seen  anything  equal  to  the  dirt  and  vermin 
in  that  room.  The  first  time  I undressed  the  baby  it  was 
literally  black  with  vermin.  Each  day  when  I returned  home 
I had  to  change  all  my  clothes.” 

What  has  brought  about  this  condition  of  society  ? Who  is 
responsible  for  it  ? What  are  the  needed  remedies  ? The  follow- 
ing principles  and  facts  help  to  answer  these  questions,  I think. 

Firstly : immorality  cannot  but  destroy  home  life.  Parents 
and  children  do  not  regard  each  other  in  the  normal  light; 

1 Missionary  of  the  E.B.M.U.  in  Cuzco. 


GIRLHOOD’S  SUFFERINGS 


143 

the  bond  between  them  is  not  so  close,  and  the  children  become 
grown-np  and  independent  very  early. 

Secondly : in  Peru  (as  in  every  other  tropical  country)  the 
estimate  of  human  life  is  very  low.  Bronchitis  is  considered 
fatal ; illness  is  not  understood ; tlie  sick  are  left  to  die ; and 
while  a great  show  of  mourning  is  made  for  older  friends, 
nothing  is  thought  of  a child’s  death. 

In  Arequipa  a doctor  found,  in  the  corner  of  a chicharia 
filled  with  drinking  cholos,  a little  girl  very  ill  with  smallpox. 
She  was  horribly  dirty,  and  the  flies  were  swarming  over  her 
face.  On  her  chest  was  a spot,  two  inches  square,  raw,  and 
swarming  with  flies  and  worms.  Death  only  awaits  such  a 
one  in  Peru — and  what  matters  the  death  of  a child  ! In  her 
maternity -nursing,  Mrs.  Jarrett^  has  continually  found  that 
girls  are  not  wanted,  and  the  sooner  they  die  the  better  so 
far  as  the  parents  are  concerned. 

Thirdly : the  cruelty  of  the  Latin  nature  still  survives  in 
Peru.  These  people  are  in  part  descended  from  the  brave  and 
brilliant,  cruel  and  callous  conqueroi’s.  They  disdain  the  poor 
and  weak ; they  show  no  consideration  for  Indians  or  animals ; 
they  are  not  ashamed  of  cruelty. 

Fourthly : the  national  ideal  of  childhood  is  degrading. 
In  England  childhood  is  regarded  as  something  precious,  to  be 
treasured  long.  Here,  as  in  other  Latin  countries,  manhood 
and  womanhood  are  reached  after.  Children  are  forced  into 
adult  life ; girls  have  no  girlhood. 

Fifthly : the  system  of  domestic  service  fosters  cruelty. 
Children  become  servants  at  five  or  six  years  of  age,  when 
they  are  not  fit  to  work  twelve  hours  a day.  They  are  possibly 
naughty,  ignorant,  or  careless;  their  mistresses  are  uncontrolled, 
short-tempered,  proud — and  sci  the  cruel  treatment  of  these 
child-slaves  is  common.  Here  in  Cuzco  is  a little  boy,  who 
has  only  three  fingers  on  his  right  hand,  as  a result  of  the 
anger  of  his  mistress  because  he  broke  two  plates. 

1 Missionary  of  the  K.B.M.U-  in  Arequipa. 


144 


THE  CRY  OF  THE  CHILDREN 


Tlie  godmother  often  regards  her  god-child  merely  as  a 
slave,  and  those  who  have  adopted  Indian  servants  do  not 
consider  these  muchachas  human  beings,  to  be  treated  as  such. 

Lastl}' : the  sad  condition  of  childhood  in  Peru  is  partly 
brought  about  by  the  sale  of  Indian  children.  Only  latel}'^  I 
was  stopped  by  an  Indian  in  Calle  Coca  and  asked  to  buy  a 
little  girl  of  ten.  Several  times  I have  been  offered  babies 
“ very  cheaply  ” by  the  plaza  women. 

Child-life  among  the  poor  of  Peru ! Sin,  ignorance,  and 
want  combine  to  make  the  picture  almost  lurid  in  its  horror. 
But  there  is  a still  sadder  picture  of  child-life  which  I want 
to  show  you, — not  perhaps  so  striking,  not  so  piteous  at  first 
sight, — the  tragedy  of  respectable  neglect. 

Think  of  little  ones  whose  lives  are  without  colour,  joyless 
and  monotonous;  children  who  sit  all  day  in  the  house,  each 
with  his  or  her  own  servant;  children  who  have  no  toys,  no 
books,  no  amusements ; children  who  do  not  know  how  to  play, 
who  seldom  laugh,  who  never  romp  with  mother  or  father, 
who  never  listen  to  stories.  Theirs  is  not  childhood,  but  a 
joyless  existence.  They  are  li.stless,  careless,  spiritless  little 
creatures,  content  to  sit  idle  all  day  long  by  a “muchacha” 
or  maid.  For  them  life  has  no  zest,  childhood  will  leave 
no  sacred  memories. 

And  the  outcome  ? Is  it  less  sad  than  the  results  of  social 
conditions  amongst  the  poor?  The  respectable  children,  un- 
guarded by  parental  love,  live  with  servants,  and  too  early 
the  companionship  of  sullied  thoughts  is  theirs.  Alone, 
unoccupied,  ambitionless — the  influence  of  these  evil  companions 
is  all-powerful. 

What  wonder  then  that  few  Peruvian  mothers  think  it 
possible  that  a boy  should  gi’ow  up  moral  ? What  wonder  that 
Peru’s  black-eyed  daughters  so  often  ruin  their  lives,  as  their 
mothers  did  before  them,  in  spite  of  the  window-bars]  which 
should  have  caged  them  in  ? 


PLEASE  GO  SHARES 


Inca  Melody  (kindly  harmonized  by  Mr.  Charles  Gardner, 
Guildhall  School  of  Music). 


rn 

! n 1 h 

nJ — — \~i 

^ K 1.  / i J 1 

1 1 

^ m 

rT\  ^ r 

J 

1 

l_ 

^ J 

«--g % 

^5  ® 

tr  ^ ' Zi 

-9-  ^ 

^ -9-  • -9-  -9-  -9-  -9- 

L 'W  : 

fCJ*.  7 / I 1 r r w 

'll 

\ '^11 

• 1 1 

^9  9 

r ^ r 

Song  of  the  Brown  Children, 

We  have  heard  of  Santa  Claus, 

We,  the  children  of  Peru  ; 

We  should  like  a Christmas,  too — 
Please  go  shares  with  yours  ! 

We  have  heard  of  pretty  toys. 

We,  the  children  of  Peru  ; 

We  should  like  some  playthings,  too, 
Though  we’re  only  Indian  boys. 

We  have  heard  of  doilies,  too, 

We,  the  brown-skinned  Indian  girls, 
With  our  black  and  tangled  curls — 
We  should  like  to  play  with  you. 

We  have  heard  of  play-books,  too. 

We,  the  boys  who  cannot  spell : 
Happy  English  children,  tell — 

Shall  we  ever  be  like  you  ? 


Song  of  the  White  Children, 

Listen,  Indian  girls  and  boys  ! 

We  will  answer  to  your  song  : 

We  are  happy  all  day  long. 

Not  because  of  books  and  toys, 

But  because  of  Christ  above. 

He  Who  loves  us  one  and  all  ; 

He  Who  sees  the  sparrow  fall, 

He  Who  makes  us  love. 

I forgot  you  did  not  know — 

But  He  loves  you  same  as  me  ; 
Wants  you  good  and  glad  to  be  ; 
Wants  you  like  Himself  to  grow. 

You  shall  share  our  books  and  toys. 
You  shall  love  our  Jesus  too  ; 

We  will  all  be  friends  with  you, 
’Cause  we  love  you  Indian  boys  ! 

Geraldine  Guinness, 


lo 


MS 


146  THE  CRY  OF  THE  CHILDREN 

A few  weeks  ago  a thronged  procession  passed  our  windows 
in  Cuzco.  The  Host  was  on  its  way  to  visit  a death-bed, 
followed  by  the  band  from  the  Theological  Seminary  and  a 
number  of  young  girls  from  the  Nunnery  School.  To  us  it 
was  one  of  the  heart-rending  sights  of  Peru,  for  we  knew  that 
one  of  their  schoolmates,  not  daring  to  face  the  result  of  her 
sin,  had  taken  strychnine  and  was  dying. 

As  I think  of  Peru’s  children,  Ruskin’s  words  burn  them- 
selves into  my  heart — 

“ Far  among  the  moorlands  and  the  rocks — far  in  the 
darkness  of  the  terrible  streets — these  feeble  florets  are  lying, 
with  all  their  fresh  leaves  torn,  and  their  stems  broken.  Will 
you  never  go  down  to  them,  nor  set  them  in  order  in  their 
little  fragrant  beds,  nor  fence  them  in  their  trembling  from  the 
fierce  wind  ? Shall  morning  follow  morning,  for  you,  but  not 
for  them ; and  the  dawn  rise  to  watch,  far  away,  those  frantic 
Dances  of  Death  ? ” 


Chapter  XV. — Cholitas — 


Visiting  the  poor  in  Cuzco — Worldly  wisdom  and  spiritual 
treasure — A pretty  little  mother  of  sixteen  years  old — A peep 
into  a typical  sitting-room  — Preaching  the  Gospel  under 
dificulties. 


Frjm  a photograp/i  by\  [Fit:  Missionafy  StutHo,  Cuzco. 

“THE  STREET  THAT  TIRES  THE  FOX.” 

A typical  Cuzciueno  street,  with  its  corner  of  Inca  masonry,  its  balcony  oi 
Spanish  carving,  and  its  street  drain. 


CHAPTER  XV 


“ CHOLITAS,”  AS  SEEN  BY  A LADY  MISSIONARY  i 


“They  are  little  simple  things  to  do — 

To  sweep  a room,  to  hake  a loaf  of  bread, 

Kiss  a hurt  finger,  tie  a baby’s  shoe, 

To  mend  a crying  schoolboy’s  broken  sled. 

Such  little  simple  things ! But  they  above 
Who  on  our  little  world  attendant  wait. 

And  joyful  wait,  note  only  if  through  love 
The  deed  be  done,  to  count  the  work  as  great.” — Anon. 

AST  the  great  church  piles  of  San  Francisco  and  Santa 


Clara,  to  the  little  road  which  turns  off  from  the  Inca 
walls  of  Calle  Hospital,  climbing  up  through  the  stench  of 
a dry  acequia,  along  an  opened-up  underground  drain — such 
is  the  route  one  must  take  when  visiting  in  the  poorer  parts 
of  Cuzco. 

A very  poor  old  woman  lived  in  a room  which  received  all 
the  odours  from  the  street  outside.  She  had  come  to  our 
house  begging,  and  was  now  doing  some  needlework  for  me. 
When  I reached  the  house  the  Senora  was  sitting  on  the 
doorstep  sewing  my  Indian  skirt.  Poor  body ! She  had 
looked  fairly  respectable  in  her  dark  skirt  and  manta,  though 
they  were  green  with  age ; but  now  her  black  plaits  were 
hanging  over  an  unwashed  face,  and  she  wore  a skimpy 
cotton  bodice  and  ragged  skirt.  Fraiiciscita,  her  pretty  little 

* No  toui’ist  has  ever  troubled  to  study  the  Cholitas  (poor  lower-class 
girls  of  Peru) ; I have,  therefore,  pictured  them  as  seen  by  their  only  foreign 
friend,  the  lady  missionary. 


149 


“CHOLITAS” 


150 

grand-daughter,  was  there  also,  and  very  glad  to  see  me.  A 
mat  was  placed  on  the  couch  for  me  to  sit  on,  and  then  we 
began  to  talk. 

Visiting  in  Cuzco — can  you  imagine  it  ? That  room  was 
cleaner  than  mo.st,  but  had  no  window,  of  course.  A bed  was 
laid  on  the  floor  in  one  corner,  and  a chair,  a couch,  and  a 
table  constituted  all  the  furniture. 

We  discussed  the  Indian  clothes,  even  to  the  gathers  and 
tucks,  and  then  the  conversation  broadened. 

For  what  purpose  did  I,  an  elegant  young  lady,  wish  Indian 
clothes  ? 

Was  that  so,  indeed,  that  to  my  friends  in  England  such 
costumes  would  be  curiosities  ? 

Did  the  English  ladies,  then,  wear  mantas  always,  and  never 
rebosos,  or  Indian  headcloths  ? 

How  extraordinary ! But  if  we  did  not  use  mantillas,  how 
could  we  enter  the  churches  ? Surely  not  in  hats  or  caps  ! 

Did  I attend  Mass  in  Cuzco  ? 

Indeed ! I had  felt  such  interest  as  to  rise  one  morning  at 
four  o’clock  in  order  to  hear  the  Kechua  sermon  ! 

But  did  I not  prefer  to  attend  the  Novena  of  La  Merced  ? 

Yes  indeed,  she  could  tell  the  hour  of  all  the  Misas  and 
sermons;  but  if  I came  to  the  cathedral  for  morning  Mass,  I 
must  wear  a manta,  for  it  would  not  be  allowable  to  enter  in 
a cap.  Of  what  was  my  cap  made  ? Beautiful,  yet  unknown 
in  Cuzco ; for  this  cause  did  the  people  stare  at  me  as  I passed 
through  the  streets  with  her  on  the  previous  day. 

In  the  cathedral  I should  see  Our  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes ! 
Oh,  wondrously  beautiful,  miraculous ! What  agony,  what 
powers!  Yes,  she  knew  well  the  wonders  of  Nuestro  Sefior. 
Had  she  not  been  in  Arequipa  during  the  terrible  shock  which 
rocked  the  city  and  threw  down  houses  ? Had  she  not  seen 
the  wealthiest  run,  screaming,  to  fetch  their  treasures  from 
the  doomed  houses  ? Had  she  not  witnessed  a similar  shock 
in  Cuzco,  when  the  city  swayed  and  its  population  slept 


A GRANDMOTHER’S  RELIGION  15 1 

in  the  fields  around  ? Did  she  not  see  the  kneeling  multitude 
in  the  cathedral  ? Did  she  not  witness  the  processions  of 
white-robed  women  bearing  crosses  on  their  shoulders,  their 
hair  hanging  in  disorder  over  their  faces,  as  they  marched 
wailing  through  the  streets  ? Yes,  and  Our  Lord  of  the 
Earthquakes  took  compassion,  so  that  not  one  house  in 
the  whole  city  fell.  Solely  was  this  due  to  his  mercy  and 
might ! 

Had  I visited  the  famous  shrine  of  Our  Lord  of  Huanca  ? 
No  ? I had  not  even  heard  of  his  fame  ? It  was  many  years 
ago  when  an  Indian,  keeping  his  sheep  on  the  mountain-side  of 
a farm  called  Huanca,  heard  cries  and  shouts.  Astonished  at 
such  sounds  on  the  lonely  hillside,  he  left  his  flocks  to  discover 
their  origin,  and  beheld,  with  his  own  eyes,  our  blessed  Lord 
being  scourged  by  the  Jews.  Yet  did  he  not  recognize  the 
bleeding  Figure,  but  going  to  the  authorities  told  them  of  the 
crime.  They  accompanied  him  to  the  spot  and  saw  the  sufter- 
ing  Christ,  but  the  Jews  were  no  longer  visible.  A church  was 
then  erected  on  the  sacred  ground ; and  still  pilgrims  come  from 
Bolivia,  Chili,  and  the  Argentine,  to  visit  the  miraculous  image 
of  Our  Lord  of  Huanca. 

Such  were  the  stories  she  told  me,  and  between  them  I 
questioned  her  as  to  her  own  religious  beliefs.  She  knew  more 
of  the  truths  of  Christianity  than  any  other  of  her  class  to 
whom  I had  spoken. 

“You  have  told  me  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  Our  Lord  of  the 
Earthquakes,  and  of  the  Tai-tai  (Lord)  of  Huanca ; tell  me  now, 
are  these  all  one  and  the  same  with  the  Son  of  God  who  is  in 
heaven,  or  are  they  different  ? ” 

“ The  same — all  are  the  same.  There  is  but  one  Jesus ; the 
Tai-tai  and  Our  Sehor,  all  are  the  same.”^ 

“ Then  is  it  the  Son  of  God  in  heaven  who  works  the.se 
miracles,  or  is  it  the  images  ? ” 

* Tlie  answer  given  by  the  poor  to  sucli  a question  is  more  generally  that 
each  image  is  a different  god.  See  Chapter  XXVI.,  page  29.3. 


152 


“CHOLITAS” 


“ It  is  He,  the  Son  of  God ; His  power  is  in  the  blessed 
images ; but  it  is  He  that  works.” 

“Is  it  the  same  with  the  Virgins?  Our  Lady  of  Bellen 
(Our  Lady  of  Bethlehem),  Nuestra  Sehora  de  Merced  (Our  Lady 
of  Mercy) — all  these  Virgins — are  they  different?  Which  is 
the  Mother  of  Jesus  Christ  ? ” 

“Yes,  they  too  are  all  the  same;  they  are  the  Mother  of 
Jesus,  and  it  matters  not  whether  you  speak  of  Our  Blessed 
Lady  of  Bellen  or  of  another;  each  is  the  Virgin,  our  Holiest 
Mother.  For  an  angel — I know  not  his  name  or  where  it  was 
— came  to  the  purest  Mary  to  say  that  she  was  the  greatest  of 
women.” 

“ I too  have  heard  the  .story ; shall  I read  it  to  you  as  Saint 
Luke  tells  it  ? ” 

Then  the  old  words  are  read,  and  the  woman,  with  little 
Franci.scita  at  her  side,  listens  eagerly,  and  gladly  accepts  the 
booklet. 

“ What  a beautiful  conversation ! How  congenial  to  me ! 
Never  before  have  I rejoiced  in  the  privilege  of  conversing  with 
an  elegant  lady.  My  little  grand-daughter  also  has  lost  her 
heart  to  you ; she  says  to  me ; ‘ When  will  the  Sehorita  return  ? 
Let  us  hasten  and  finish  her  sewing  ! ’ ” 

Franciscita  is  blushing,  but  promises  to  come  home  with  me 
one  day  and  have  her  photo  taken.  Then  the  old  woman 
embraces  me,  and  I leave  her  20c.  (5d.)  to  pay  for  the  day’s 
work,  and  go  out  again  to  the  smelly  street  and  on  to  the  homes 
of  my  other  friends. 

Such  visiting  sounds  delightfully  easy,  but  humanly  speak- 
ing it  is  impossible  ever  to  get  that  old  woman  to  think  of 
her  soul.  To  start  with,  .she  is  proud  of  bemg  spoken  to  by  a 
hlanca.  Further,  she  has  a practical  mind,  and  intends  to  profit 
by  this  conde.scension.  The  gringa  is  young  and  ignorant,  and 
so  kind-hearted  that  a few  tears  may  accomplish  much. 
The  Sefiorita’s  chief  interest  is  evidently  in  religion.  Good  ! 
Is  she  not  willing  and  even  pleased  to  speak  with  raj)ture  on 


WORLDLY  WISDOM 


153 


the  blessed  subject?  (Indeed,  poor  soul,  though  she  does  not 
realize  it,  this  vapid  “ religion”  is  part  of  her  very  being;  it  is 
her  only  interest  in  life — her  only  pleasure !)  Probably  she 
had  received  a little  religious  instruction  when  her  social  con- 
dition was  more  favourable;  but  the  truths  she  now  repeated 
were  the  possession  of  a retentive  Peruvian  memory,  not  of  a 
thinking  mind. 

When  one  faces  these  things,  the  thought  arises : “ What  a 
foolish,  hopeless  task  you  are  undertaking ! Were  these  heathen 
Chinese  to  whom  the  story  of  Christ  could  come  with  fresh 
force,  your  work  might  succeed ; as  it  is,  the  name  of  Christ  is 
one  of  their  commonest  words.  They  know  all  about  Him  ; He 
is  the  Tai-tai  of  Huanca ! You  can  never  make  them  under- 
stand that  your  Jesus  is  real,  and  quite  difierent  from  the  idol 
they  have  hitherto  worshipped — never  ! ” 

But  if  the  Devil  seems  more  awfully  real  in  Peru  than  at 
home,  so  is  the  Saviour  more  consciously  near  His  children  who 
labour  in  the  midst  of  the  Powers  of  Darkness. 

“ Your  love  will  teach  them  of  My  love ; according  to  the 
measure  of  the  Christ- spirit  in  your  woi’ds  and  works,  shall 
they  learn  to  know  Me.” 

When  the  Master  whispers  such  words,  the  privilege  and 
responsibility  of  living  for  Him  in  earth’s  dark  lands  seem 
very  great. 

My  next  visit  is  to  Luciana,  a girl  of  sixteen  who  has  a 
great  big  baby  girl  of  four  months  old.  Antonia,  the  baby,  lies 
kicking  on  the  bed.  We  are  great  friends,  and  the  quaint  little 
mite  smiles  and  stretches  out  her  arms  to  come  to  me.  Picture 
to  yourselves  the  home — a dark  room  with  the  dirt  of  years 
accumulated  on  its  mud  floor ; several  thick  skirts  hanging  from 
pegs  on  the  mud  wall,  and  a crockery  stove  for  cooking ; some 
dirty  plates,  and  brown  Indian  pots  lying  about ! Luciana’s 
mother  sits  on  the  doorstep  spinning ; and  the  girl  has  taken  up 
her  big  baby  from  the  rough  wooden  bedstead,  and  is  nursing  her. 


154 


“CHOLITAS” 


“ Look  at  the  baby  ! ” she  says.  “ Has  she  not  blue  eyes  like 
the  Englisli  ? ” 

“Yes  indeed,  she  is  my  little  sister.  Where  did  she  get 
the  blue  for  tho.se  eyes?  Yours  are  dark — and  her  father’s?” 

“ They  also  are  brown ; I think  Antonia  has  her  English 
eyes  from  Miss  Finn.”  ^ 

At  this  naive  remark  we  all  laughed  heartily,  and  Luciana 
devoured  the  baby  with  kisses. 

My  next  visit  was  to  a slightly,  superior  family  where  I was 
hugged  and  patted  by  Maria  and  her  mother,  a nice  little  woman 
in  black.  Maria  is  a pretty  girl  with  dark  hair  and  large  black 
eyes ; she  is  slightly  built,  even  for  her  sixteen  years,  so  that 
one  can  .scarcely  believe  she  is  the  mother  of  Estaire,  a great  fat 
baby  of  six  months  old.  When  I arrived,  Maria  was  in  the  patio 
having  her  hair  done.  This  is  a lengthy  process  in  Peru : the 
hair  is  carefully  combed  through  with  water,  and  then  fastened 
on  the  top  of  the  head,  smooth  and  black  and  shining.  All  the 
family  were  gathered  round  to  help  ; a small  boy  holding  Estaire, 
and  elder  brothers,  nieces,  and  nephews  watching.  All  were 
delighted  to  see  me,  and  ci’owded  upstairs  to  the  room  of 
entertainment. 

I am  so  used  to  Peruvian  homes  that  I have  not  even  been 
.struck  by  the  sitting-room,  but  doubtless  it  would  be  very 
strange  to  your  eyes.  The  floor  is  of  bricks,  the  walls  of  mud, 
ornamented  with  paper  figures  cut  out  of  fashion -books, 
advertisements,  and  visiting-cards.  A dirty  curtain  partially 
veils  the  entrance  into  a bedroom  where  piles  of  clothes  and 
odds  and  ends  of  all  kinds  lie  about  on  the  floor.  The  furniture 
consists  of  a rickety  couch — very  hard  and  formal — on  which  I 
sit,  a chair,  a trunk,  and  several  fragments  of  packing-cases. 

Meanwhile  the  family  has  gathered  around  me.  Maria  holds 
my  right  hand ; Estaire  is  in  my  other  arm ; a fat  little  boy 
with  a tiny  sliirt  and  tinier  trousers — the  two  garments  separ- 

* Miss  Finn,  a missionary  of  tlie  R.B.M.U.  in  Cuzco,  won  the  friendship 
of  this  family  hy  her  kindness  and  skill  in  nursing  Luciana  and  her  hahy. 


IN  THE  PATIO. 

Tliis  is  a corner  of  tlie  open  patio  of  a Cuzco  house.  Below  are  the  portales  (cloisters) 
which  surround  it  ; and  above,  the  corridor  from  which  open  the  rooms.  The  walls  are 
all  of  mud  whitev\  ashed,  and  the  patio  of  cobbles. 


“DOLOR  Y MUERTO  SUFRIENDO  ” 


155 


ated  by  a band  of  dirty  brown  skin — is  holding  on  to  my  knees ; 
and  the  next  son,  a bright  lad  of  about  thirteen,  is  spelling  out 
some  words  in  an  English  missionary  magazine. 

“ When  I come  back  to  Cuzco  I want  to  have  an  English 
class  for  boys ; what  would  you  say  to  that,  Luis  ? ” 

“ Indeed  it  would  be  a benefit  to  Cuzco,”  puts  in  his  mother ; 
“ to  do  well  in  Arequipa  or  Lima  nowadays,  one  needs  English, 
and  it  is  Luis’  one  ambition  to  learn.  He  notices  every  word 
and  writes  it  down.” 

“ And  why  did  he  and  his  brother  not  come  to  the  meeting  ? 
I was  expecting  them,  but  was  disappointed.” 

“ Poor  Luis  ! He  has  a boil  on  his  leg  and  cannot  sit  down  !” 
(And  the  cruel  sister  laughs  !)  “ But  it  is  too  bad  to  laugh  ; he 

is  better  now,  and  wants  to  come  next  Thursday.” 

“Very  well,  Luis,  you  shall  have  a special  chair,  and  sit  on 
the  edge.  I want  you  to  see  our  new  organ.” 

“ Oh,  may  I come  too  ? Mama  and  I will  come,” 
exclaims  Maria.  “ Will  you  sing  the  beautiful  hymn  that 
we  learned  at  your  house  the  other  day?  What  were  the 
words  ? Dost  remember,  mama  ? ‘ Dolor  y muerto  sufriendo.’  ^ 

No?” 

“ Yes,  we  will  sing  that  again.  I shall  expect  you  all 
to-morrow  night.” 

“ What  does  it  mean  to  belong  to  your  society  ? What  are 
your  beliefs  ? ” asks  the  mother. 

“ We  believe  in  God  and  in  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  who  came 
to  our  world  to  die  that  our  sins  might  be  forgiven ; also  that 
He  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary — so  being  both  human  and 
Divine.  This  you  too  believe,  do  you  not  ? ” 

“ Assuredly.  But  is  it  not  true  then  that  you  deny  the 
purity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  ? ” 


1 “ Dolor  y muerto  sufriendo 
A1  hom1)re  vida  did  ; 

Y al  cielo  ascendiendo 
Gloria  le  preparo.” 


Suffering  sorrow  and  death, 
lie  gave  life  to  man ; 
And  ascending  to  heaven. 
Prepared  for  him  glory. 


“CHOLITAS” 


156 

“ Indeed  and  indeed  we  do  not ! Listen  while  I read  you 
what  the  Bible  tells  of  her.  This  we  believe.” 

“ Ah,  those  are  beautiful  words ! But  it  is  a .shame  that 
such  reports  should  be  believed  of  you.  We  have  friends, 
educated  ladies,  who  say  that  you  would  destroy  our  belief  in 
the  purity  of  the  Virgin.” 

“ Could  we  not  meet  together  one  evening  and  talk  over 
these  things  ? ” 

“ Yes,  mama — shall  w^e  invite  some  friends  here  ? Senores 

M and  L would  like  to  come.  Thej^  saw  the  Senorita 

Geraldina  when  the  crowd  tried  to  stone  her  in  the  plaza. 
That  was  at  Corpus  Christi,  was  it  not  ? ” 

So  the  conversation  continued,  and  we  talked  of  Mass  and 
Confession  and  our  reasons  against  them ; also  of  the  high  task 
given  to  the  Virgin  in  the  bringing  up  of  the  Christ  Child ; of 
the  future  of  little  Estaire ; of  what  the  mothers  of  Peru  could 
do  for  their  country  in  training  good,  moral,  obedient,  Christian 
children  ; and  of  many  other  things. 

Then  they  pressed  me  to  take  some  milk  or  fruit,  and  one  of 
the  boys  went  out  and  bought  some  oranges,  which  were  .set  on 
a tray  upon  one  of  the  wooden  packing-cases. 

“ And  do  you  give  Estaire  orange  ? ” (Peel,  skin,  and  all, 
was  being  .stuffed  down  the  baby’s  throat.) 

“ Yes,  she  eats  anything,  does  she  not,  mama  ? ” 

It  was  a strange  pioture — the  .slovenly  little  mother,  her 
dirty  baby  taken  straight  from  bed  where  she  had  slept  in 
yesterday’s  frock,  unwashed,  uncared  for ; the  rough  packing- 
case  ; the  family  gnawing  oranges  and  spitting  pips  on  to  the 
floor ; the  dirty  comfortless  room — home-life  ! 

Unless,  however,  you  know  Peru,  you  can  scai’cely  realize 
how  thankful  one  is  merely  to  have  got  beyond  the  zone  of 
conventionalities,  into  the  home-life  as  it  really  is.  What 
happy  work,  and  for  all  the  simple  homely  details,  what 
serious  work  ours  is  ! These  people  are  carele.ss  children,  play- 
ing on  the  .shore  of  sin,  and  pouring  out  its  evil  waters  as  a 


THE  YOUNGER  SISTER 


157 

libation  to  their  gods.  For  each  of  these  Christ  died,  and  not 
one  of  them  realizes  the  fact. 

One  must  not  be  too  elated  by  such  a visit ; the  promises, 
Peruvian  words,  as  they  are  called,  are  valueless.  Maria  and  her 
mother,  in  spite  of  their  real  affection,  will  never  come  to  the 
meetings.  Why  ? The  answer  is  hidden  in  those  depths  of 
Peruvian  character  which  are  ruled  by  costumbre.  or  custom. 
Luis  and  his  brother  will  come  once,  join  enthusiastically  in 
the  singing,  listen  with  profound  attention,  promise  to  attend 
regularly,  gladden  and  encourage  our  hearts,  and  then — never 
return. 

On  the  surface,  work  in  Cuzco  is  wonderfully  encouraging, 
and  in  some  respects  even  easy.  But  below  are  the  adamant 
rocks  of  Peruvian  character  and  Roman  Catholic  training, 
which  only  God  can  strengthen  us  by  patience  and  trust  to 
wear  away. 

My  next  visit  is  to  two  sisters  called  Antonia  and  Rosa.  I 
dread  them — they  are  so  terribly  polite  ! As  in  so  many  Peruvian 
households,  it  is  the  younger  of  these  sisters  who  has  fallen  first. 
The  watch  over  the  elder  daugliter  was  perhaps  stricter ; I know 
not.  She  is  the  mistress  of  the  household  now,  and  her  pale 
little  sister  sits  clasping  her  baby  disconsolately. 

They  live  in  a pretty  old  house,  hanging  together  in  an 
uncertain  way  round  a dirty  patio.  The  girls  are  sitting  on 
a doorstep  close  by  the  open  drain — Antonia  sewing,  and  the 
little  mother  — thin  and  haggard  — dreaming  idly.  She  is 
scarcely  sixteen  yet,  and  her  four  mouths’  old  baby  is  not 
healthy. 

Poor  Rosa ! She  attracts  me,  but  it  is  impossible  to  get  a 
word  with  her  while  Antonia  is  near.  That  young  lady  is  cut 
out  for  society ; she  can  talk  polite  nothings  by  the  hour ; she 
is  strong,  and  probably  considers  herself  good-looking ; but  her 
sister’s  meek  patient  face  is  far  more  attractive  to  me. 

“ Senorita,  how  do  you  do  ? How  has  it  gone  with  you  ? 


158 


“CHOLITAS” 


Does  your  health  preserve  itself  well  ? You  are  well ! Even 
so.  I have  much  pleasure  to  know  it.  But  enter,  Sehorita. 
Allow  me  to  show  you  to  a seat.  With  your  permission,  I will 
lead  the  way.” 

So  the  voluble  conversation  continues  while  we  find  our  way 
to  the  dimly-lighted  parlour,  where  the  chairs,  which  stand  like 
ghosts  along  the  wall,  are  carefully  covered  until  the  next  dance 
which  the  stiff'  and  chilly  reception-room  shall  witness. 

A very  trying  conversation,  in  which  I seek  in  vain  to  get 
beyond  mere  conventionalities,  continues  until  Antonia  offers 
to  go  and  pick  me  some  flowers.  I seize  the  opportunity  to 
follow  her  into  the  patio,  and  sit  down  with  Rosa  and  the  baby 
by  the  drain.  Alas,  it  is  impossible  to  get  any  conversation 
with  the  girl ; another  friend,  even  more  formal  than  the  elder 
sister  is  there. 

“ Oh,  what  pretty  stuff ! Are  you  making  a blouse  ? ” I ask. 

“ Senorita,  you  speak  exactly  correctly.  I am  honoured  that 
you  should  notice  my  blouse.” 

“ Last  week  I too  made  a blouse,  but  I only  know  a very 
little  of  sewing.” 

“ Impossible,  Senorita ! Yours  would  be  so  far  superior  in 
every  way  to  mine.” 

I sigh  with  relief  when  Antonia  retuims  and  delivers  me 
from  this  kind  of  thing.  Together  we  go  round  to  see  the 
garden  (an  unusual  possession  in  Cuzco),  and  from  there  Antonia 
takes  me  through  the  field  where  Indians  are  treading  mud  for 
bricks,  to  a hill  from  which  we  can  see  one  of  the  mountains 
looking  down  on  Cuzco.  We  arrange  to  go  for  a walk  on  the 
following  Friday,  and  then  I take  my  leave. 

Such  is  daily  missionary  work  in  Cuzco ! Not  pleading  in 
impassioned  Spanish  from  a pulpit ; not  dealing  with  abstruse 
metaphysicJil  difficulties;  but  sitting  by  a drain  and  talking 
conventionalities  in  the  hope  of  winning  a way  for  the  Gospel 
into  the  hearts  of  these  poor  girls ! 

As  I try  to  look  into  their  lives,  a great  longing  to  help 


so  EASY,  YET— 


159 


them  stirs  my  heart.  So  fallen,  so  sinful — not  because  their 
inmost  soul  does  not  condemn  them,  but  because  all  whom  they 
have  known  are  the  same ! So  ignorant  and  childish ! So 
totally  unfit  to  be  mothers ! So  girlish  and  aftectionate ! So 
easy  yet  so  difficult  to  win  ! 

And  to-day,  amongst  the  millions  of  the  Sierra,  there  arc 
only  two  lady  missionaries.^ 

^ Since  this  chapter  was  written,  the  band  of  R.B.M.U.  missionaries  in 
Pern  has  been  reinforced,  and  Mrs.  Seers  and  Mrs.  Job  have  joined  Miss 
Finn  and  Mrs.  Payne. 


Chapter  XVI. — The  White  Man’s  Burden — 

Indians  who  'plough  precipitous  mountain-sides  — Little 
shepherds  and  shepherdesses  of  three  or  four  years  old — llie 
home  of  an  old  lame  shepherd  and  his  beautiful  wife — Hoiv  we 
consumed  the  dinner  they  gave  us  without  knives  or  forks — A 
touching  Indian  benediction — Scenes  from  the  maize  harvest — 
How  we  were  entertained  at  the  Salt  Village — 2,000,000  people 
who  have  never  had  a missionary. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


THE  WHITE  MAN’S  BURDEN 

“ Take  up  the  White  Man’s  burden — 

Send  forth  the  best  ye  breed, 

Go  bind  your  sons  to  exile 
To  serve  your  captives’  need  : 

To  wait  in  heavy  harness, 

On  fluttered  folk  and  wild. 

Your  new-caught  sullen  peoples. 

Half-devil,  and  half- child. 

Take  up  the  White  Man’s  burden. 

In  patience  to  abide, 

fl'o  veil  the  threat  of  terror 

And  check  the  show  of  pride  ; 

By  open  speech  and  simple. 

An  hundred  times  made  jjlain. 

To  seek  another’s  profit. 

And  work  another’s  gain ! 

Take  irp  the  White  Man’s  burden. 

Ye  dare  not  stoop  to  less. 

Nor  call  too  loud  on  freedom 
To  cloak  your  weariness  ; 

By  all  ye  cry  or  whisper. 

By  all  ye  leave  or  do. 

The  silent,  sullen  peoples 

Shall  weigh  your  Gods  and  you.” — Rudyard  Kipling. 

IN  the  sunny  valleys  of  the  Andean  plateau,  and  on  its  wind- 
swept lake-shores  and  high,  bleak  punas,  live  the  Inca 
Indians.  Here,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  physical  environ- 
ment appears  to  have  greatly  influenced  national  character. 
The  indigines  of  Peru  have  the  contented,  childlike,  pleasure- 


164 


THE  WHITE  MAN’S  BURDEN 


loving  nature  of  other  sons  of  the  tropics;  they  have  at  the 
same  time  the  industry  and  perseverance  of  peoples  of  the 
temperate  zones ; and,  in  common  with  all  other  mountaineers, 
seem  to  have  gained  gravity  and  grandeur  of  character 
from  the  rugged  peaks  and  the  cloud-crowned  snows  which 
guard  their  valleys. 

On  the  bleak,  snowbound  punas  where  the  wild  vicuna  and 
haunting  condor  are  their  only  friends,  the  Indians  have  caught 
something  of  the  spirit  of  the  eyrie  where  is  their  home.  “ In 
the  twilight  they  impressed  me  as  the  Sphinxes  did,  when  look- 
ing up  the  lane  of  Luxor.”  ^ Although  apparently  unconscious 
of  the  strange  fascination  of  their  land — the  fascination  of 
buried  history — the  Indians’  inscrutable  expression  agrees  well 
with  the  mysteries  of  Peru. 

A large  number  of  Indians  are  cultivators ; they  own  no 
land,  but  are  allowed  a portion  of  ground  to  till  for  themselves 
in  return  for  labour  given  on  the  farms  where  they  live.  The 
Indian’s  field  produces  barley,  maize,  or  potatoes,  which  are  all 
he  needs  to  live  upon.  A tiny  thatched  hut,  smoke-blacked  and 
windowless,  is  home  to  his  quiet  wife  and  little  ones.  If  we 
travel  with  the  manager  of  the  farm,  refreshment  will  be  de- 
manded for  us  in  the  dilapidated  villages,  and  Indian  women 
will  come  forward  shyly  and  offer  us  bowls  of  home-brewed 
chicha.  If  we  pass  a family  trudging  along  the  dusty  path 
which  hangs  on  the  mountain-side  above  the  winding  river, 
the  woman  will  bow  her  head  and  turn  the  other  way,  and  her 
husband,  without  moving  his  eyes  from  the  ground,  will  greet 
us  with — Tai-tai,  Viracocha ! ” ^ 

From  their  famous  ancestors,  the  Indians  of  Peru  have 
learned  industry  and  economy  in  agriculture.  Andenes,  the 

1 Squier,  Incidents  of  Travel — Exploration  in  the  Land  of  the  Incas. 

2 Viracocha,  the  name  of  an  ancient  Inca  deity,  is  still  used  by  the  Indians 
in  speaking  to  all  of  superior  rank.  The  name  was  originally  given  to  the 
relatively  fai^-skinned  Spaniards,  whom,  for  a time,  the  Indians  thought  to 
be  gods. 


AN  INDIAN  WATER-CARRIER. 


PEOPLE  OF  THE  PUNA 


165 

terraces  or  hanging  gardens  of  the  Incas,  are  still  cultivated 
high  upon  the  mountain-sides;  cai’eful  irrigation  is  necessary 
to  produce  crops  in  their  dry  land ; and  so  daring  are  they  in 
utilizing  their  mountainous  country,  that  I was  pointed  out  the 
hillside  where  an  Indian,  ploughing  his  field,  had  lately  slipped 
and  rolled  fifty  feet  down  into  the  valley. 

“ As  shepherds  they  excel  by  reason  of  their  patience  and 
kindness  to  animals.  It  is  probable  that  no  other  people 
could  have  successfully  domesticated  so  stubborn  an  animal  as 
the  llama,  so  as  to  use  it  as  a beast  of  burden;  and  constant 
watchfulness  and  attention  alone  enable  the  Indians  to  rear 
their  flocks  of  alpacas,  which  need  assistance  in  almost  every 
function  of  nature,  and  to  produce  the  lai’ge  annual  out-turn  of 
wool.” 

The  tiny  square  hut  of  a shepherd  is  often  miles  from  any 
other  habitation.  Bleak  winds  sweep  around  it,  and  its  smoke- 
blackened  mud  walls  are  his  only  shelter  from  the  furious 
mountain  storms.  He  comes  of  a hardy  and  self-contained 
race : Indian  babies  of  three  and  four  go  out  with  the  sheep ; 
girls  and  boys  alike  spin  continuously  while  at  their  other  work, 
or  wander  alone  on  the  mighty  snow-walled  puna,  barefooted, 
and  but  poorly  clad  against  its  bitter  cold. 

As  we  pass  one  of  these  homesteads  our  guide  begs  per- 
mission to  stay  a moment ; we  ride  on  and  leave  him.  Instinc- 
tively we  feel  this  is  due  to  him ; he  too  is  a gentleman.  But  a 
backward  glance  imprints  the  scene  for  ever  on  our  memories  : — 
the  excited  little  daughters  bound  over  stones  and  rocks  to  meet 
their  father,  dancing  around  him  and  then  darting  off  with 
wondrous  speed  to  fetch  their  mother.  Husband  and  wife — 
united  by  yet  stronger  ties  than  those  of  solely  legal  ceremonies 
— sit  side  by  side  on  the  frosty  ground  to  share  the  coca  which 
our  guide  has  earned.  Save  on  tlie  part  of  the  children,  there 
is  no  demonstration  of  affection.  These  Indians  are  calm,  silent 
people,  trained  by  the  cruel  cold  and  cutting  winds  to  stoicism. 

On  the  mountain-side,  5,000  feet  above  the  valley  of 


i66 


THE  WHITE  MAN’S  BURDEN 


Calca,  we  were  entertained  by  an  old  lame  shepherd  and  his 
beautiful  wifed  As  on  many  other  occasions,  we  were  struck 
by  a strange  something — a refinement,  a sensitiveness,  an  inborn 
politeness — which  characterizes  so  many  of  the  Indians.  Only 
a tiny  thatched  hut  by  a grey  lake  from  which  precipitous 
snows  rose  sheer  to  a craggy  crest — but  in  that  isolated  spot 
was  a true  home.  The  old  shepherd  leaned  upon  his  stick 
while  the  Indian  woman  laid  sheepskins  and  ponchos  on  the 
ground  for  us  to  sit  on.  Then  she  came  quietly  up  beside  him 
to  ask  a question,  and  her  low  Kechua  tones  fioated  over  to  us. 
Two  little  children  followed  her  about,  or  stood  and  eyed  us  half 
in  fear  and  half  in  wonder.  They  were  dirty  little  mites, 
dressed  in  knitted  caps  and  woollen  cloths  tied  about  their 
wee  brown  bodie.s.  Soon  the  young  mother  returned  with 
a disli  of  hot  potatoes  and  another  of  grilled  flesh.  In  a 
quiet,  unpresuming  way  she  set  the  dishes  down,  and  moved 
away  some  distance  while  we  ate. 

Imagine  the  passionate  longing  which  possesses  one  at  such 
a time  to  be  able  to  tell  the  story  of  Jesus  to  these  people ! 
Away  here,  amongst  the  clouds  and  snow,  surely  there  is  liberty 
of  worship  ! Who  shall  forbid  us  here  to  preach  Christ  ? Alas 
that  we  know  nothing  of  the  Kechua  tongue  ! 

“ Until  we  meet  again  may  all  fulness  of  blessing  be  yours ! ” 
they  cry  as  we  depart,  and  the  mother  takes  my  hand  in  hers 
and  ki.sses  it  reverently,  accepting  my  piece  of  silver  with  such 
grace  that  I cannot  but  feel  it  is  a remembrance  rather  than 
compen.sation  for  lier  expenditure  and  trouble. 

The  happiness  of  such  Indians  depends  ahno.st  entirely  on 
the  disposition  of  their  owner,  for  they,  like  their  fields,  belong 
to  the  master  of  the  farm.  Some  hadev dados  {owners  oi  farms) 
bring  sin  and  disgrace  and  bitterness  into  tlie  lives  of  their 
Indians,  while  others  rule  the  hacienda  (farm)  with  gentle 
kindness. 

* This  family  lives  ou  “ Uico,”  the  farm  which  the  ll.B.M.U.  has  lately 
bought. 


“SNOW  IN  TIME  OF  HARVEST” 


167 


Well  I remember  one  beautiful  summer  morning  when  we  rose 
with  the  sun  to  continue  our  journey  from  Marabamba.  The 
mistress  of  the  estate  was  the  earliest  riser,  however,  and  we 
found  her  sitting  on  the  rough  bench  of  the  verandah,  watching 
the  little  servants  prepare  coflee  for  breakfast,  and  wash  the 
plates  and  feed  the  pigeons.  One  by  one  the  Indians  passed 
the  verandah  on  their  way  to  work,  and  one  old  man  who  was 
setting  out  on  a journey,  approached  her  with  his  head  bared, 
and  they  embraced  each  other  after  Peruvian  fashion,  with  the 
customary  greeting — 

Imaina  Cashanqui,  Tai-tai  ? 

Allivum  cani,  Mai-mai. 

Veiy  picturesque  are  these  jincas  and  their  copper-skinned 
farm-hands.  Imagine  a scene  from  the  beautiful  maize-harvest 
of  Peru ! A small  circular  valley  shut  in  by  mountain  walls 
two  to  three  thousand  feet  high — a river  winding  through  it — 
and  a cloud-wreathed  snowy  peak  watching  over  it ! Such  is 
the  situation  of  Aynan.  Blue-gum  trees,  azure  lucerne,  high 
stalks  of  yellow  maize,  dry  and  crackling — all  wrapped  in  the 
soft  sunshine  of  Spring — such  is  the  setting  to  a group  of 
picturesque  harvesters.  Little  children  in  bright  rags  of 
clothing  sit  about  amongst  the  piles  of  maize-stalks.  An 
old  woman,  dark-skinned  and  wrinkled,  is  collecting  broken 
cobs  for  making  chicha.  Strong,  lithe  Indians  are  gathering 
up  the  maize  in  huge  striped  ponchos,  and  bearing  it  up  to 
the  farmhouse  through  orchard  arbours,  where  vines  form 
arclies  over  the  path,  and  peaches  are  mellowing  in  the 
sunshine. 

Watch  them  there — men  of  physical  perfection — balancing 
great  loads  without  effort,  and  letting  their  golden  contents 
pour  slowly  on  to  the  ground.  Colour  the  panorama  for  your- 
self ! The  piles  of  maize — red,  brown,  and  yellow ; the  little 
Indians,  sitting  on  it  and  around  it,  with  their  rags  of  green 
and  red,  their  black  heads  and  dark  brown  eyes ; the  distant 


THE  WHITE  MAN’S  BURDEN 


1 68 

mountains,  lialf  shut  out  by  mist ; and,  framed  by  the  doorway 
in  the  maize  field  wall  below,  that  blue  lucerne. 

A good  many  Indians  live  on  small  plots  of  ground  of  their 
own.  They  appear  to  be  free.  They  grow  their  own  food, 
weave  their  own  garments,  and  go  out  at  seasons  to  work, 
but  in  reality  they  have  no  liberty.  They  are  hopeless  slaves 
to  alcohol  and  coca,^  and  have  no  one  to  give  them  a word  of 
advice  or  help.  The  conqueror’s  hand  has  spoiled  their  country 
and  embittered  their  lives.  Their  only  heritage  is  resentment. 
And  in  a hard  world  their  chief  pleasure  is  the  fiery  water 
which  the  foreigners  sell  to  them  by  force,  until  a craving  for 
it  is  developed.  “ Excessiv'e  drinking  is  so  common  that  it 
may  be  said  to  be  the  Indian’s  chief  (or  only)  pastime.  The 
liquor  usually  drunk  is  a form  of  crude  spirit  prepai’ed  from 
the  sugar  cane,  and  is  particularly  rich  in  toxic  alcohols.” 

Coca,  their  ancient  recourse,  is  the  support  of  life  to  them. 
Cold  will  be  numbed,  weariness  iinfelt,  hunger  satisfied,  by 
the  customary  quid  of  coca.  They  are  unconscious  that  life 
itself  is  numbed,  the  power  of  active  thought  lost,  and  will- 
power destroyed,  by  the  poisonous  narcotic. 

In  the  towns  and  villages  are  many  Indian  merchants 
who  sell  butter,  cheese,  grain,  and  potatoes.  “It  is  from  the 
Cholos,  a semi-educated  class  of  Indians,  who  have  intermarried 
with  Peruvians,  that  the  wealthier  merchants  are  recruited ; 
these  are  the  chief  oppressors  of  the  more  ignorant  Indian. 
Under  the  cloak  of  good  fellowship  they  will  stupefy  him  with 
vile  li(|Uor,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  extract  the  maximum  profit 
out  of  their  dealings  with  him,  and  will  not  he.sitate  to  cheat 
him  in  every  way  pos.sible.”  ^ 

“ As  miners  the  Indians  are  exceedingly  apt  at  the  work  of 
extracting  the  metal  from  the  ores  ; and  no  people  in  the  world 

^ Coca  is  the  leaf  from  which  cocaine  is  ohtaineil.  Tlie  Indians  continu- 
ally chew  it,  so  that  it  is  in  Peru  what  the  betel  leaf  is  in  India. 

* "Walter  Ball,  M.D.Lond.,  of  Caylloiua,  Peru. 


THE  SALT  VILLAGE 


169 


can  be  compared  with  them  in  ability  to  endure  the  extremes 
of  heat  and  cold.”^  Like  their  flocks  of  llamas  and  alpacas, 
tlie  Indians  thrive  in  the  heights,  and  live  without  any  incon- 
venience in  mines  at  fourteen,  fifteen,  sixteen,  and  even 
seventeen  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Such 
Indians  seldom  come  in  contact  with  strangers,  and  their  fear  of 
and  dislike  for  them  witness  to  the  cruel  treatment  which  white 
men  have  meted  out  to  the  original  owners  of  the  land  of  the 
Incas. 

On  a pampa  a few  leagues  from  Cuzco,  we  stopped  one 
morning  at  Chaquerac,  the  Salt  Village.  Chaquerac  is  a 
collection  of  dilapidated  mud  walls  on  a bare  dry  plateau.  Being 
both  hungry  and  thirsty,  we  dismounted  from  our  horses 
and  approached  an  Indian  hut.  Black  darkness  was  within, 
and  blinding  smoke  issued  through  the  low  doorway. 

Imaina  Cashanqui,  Mai-mai  ? Hay  chiclta  ? (How  do 
you  do,  mother  ? Is  there  any  chicha  ?) 

ManancancliU.  (There  is  none.) 

Hay  chupi  ? (Is  there  any  soup  ?) 

Manancanchu. 

Hay  moti  ? (Is  there  any  corn  ?) 

Manancanchu. 

No  hay  nada  ? (Isn’t  there  anything  ?) 

Still  the  same  sullen  reply  from  within ; but  sooner  or 
later  the  women  will  probably  relent;  so  we  sit  down  in  the 
dust  and  blazing  sunshine  outside.  Presently  a withered  old 
woman,  only  half-clothed,  comes  out  of  the  smoke  and  sits  down 
by  tlie  mud  wall  to  examine  us.  Then  a younger  woman  witli 
a genial  face,  full  of  character,  brings  us  sheepskins  to  sit  on. 
We  are  eating  dry  Indian  bread.  (It  is  very  dry,  and  we  are 
white  with  dust,  and  look  thirst}' !)  That  thaws  her  chill 
welcome,  and  soon  we  are  dipping  fresh  milk  out  of  a Imge 
earthenware  bowl  with  a broken  gourd,  and  eating  dry  beans 
and  maize  with  some  of  the  salt  found  near  the  village.  Before 
1 Markham,  History  of  Peru. 


170 


THE  WHITE  MAN’S  BURDEN 


we  leave,  the  woman  has  become  a real  friend ; she  begs 
us  to  return  soon,  and  assures  us  that  she  will  always  have 
fodder  for  our  horses  and  food  for  us  if  we  are  passing  through 
Chaquerac. 

Generally  speaking  the  Indians  seem  to  be  healthy  and 
strong,  though  statistics  show  that  the  annual  mortality 
amongst  them  is  about  seventy  per  thousand.  Probably  the 
high  rate  of  the  infant  death-rate  accounts  for  this.  Only 
the  pure  air  of  their  mountain  homes  prevents  yet  more  sickness 
among  those  who  sleep  all  huddled  together  in  wretched,  dark, 
dirty  huts,  and  seldom  undress,  or  even  so  much  as  wash  their 
faces  and  hands. 

Two  million  people  are  without  elementary  education,  with- 
out knowledge  of  the  hygiene  of  the  home,  often  without  the 
necessaries  of  life,  without  a friend,  witliout  the  knowledge 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

We  must  answer  to  their  great  need. 

This  is  the  White  Man’s  burden. 

This  is  the  Christian’s  trust. 


Chapter  XVII. — Paganized  Christianity — 

“Without  God  in  the  toorld”  — How  I was  invited  to 
perform  at  a pagan  dance  beneath  the  snows  of  Illimani — 
Alcohol  and  the  Virgin — Wo7'ship2wrs  of  the  Earth  Goddess — 
“ The  Eatron  of  Butchers”- — -WaJeing  the  saints  in  hcaveii — 
Hoio  lambs  arc  dressed  and  taken  to  church — Indian  “ beasts  ” 
and  their  only  god. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


PAGANIZED  CHRISTIANITY 


“ Ye  whose  hearts  are  fresh  and  simple, 

Who  have  faith  in  God  and  Nature, 

Wlio  believe  that  in  all  ages 
Every  human  heart  is  human. 

That  in  even  savage  bosoms 

There  are  longings,  yearnings,  strivings. 

For  the  good  they  comprehend  not. 

That  the  feeble  hands  and  helpless. 

Groping  blindly  in  the  darkness. 

Touch  God’s  right  hand  in  that  darkness 
And  are  lifted  up  and  strengthened  ; 

Listen  to  this  simple  story.” — Longfellow. 

HAT  is  the  religion  of  the  present-day  Inca  Indian  ? Alas, 


he  has  sunk  very  low  ! The  days  of  the  worship  of  the 
Inca,  and  of  Inti,  the  Sun-god,  are  forgotten.  Pachacamac,  the 
Life  of  the  Universe,  is  remembered  no  more.  And  what  has  the 
Indian  been  given  in  the  place  of  these  destroyed  “ deities  ” ? 
A few  remnants  of  ancient  religious  observances  survive  on 
the  Sierra  of  Peru,  but  the  heart  is  taken  out  of  them ; to-day 
they  have  no  religious  meaning.  The  Indians,  humble  and 
childlike,  accept  the  ceremonies  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church ; 
but  the  knowledge  of  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 
He  has  sent,  is  denied  them.  Two  religious  systems  are 
mingled  in  a life  of  meaningless  observances ; the  soul  of  the 
Inca  Indian  is  still  empty — he  has  no  God,  Cuzqueuo  Indians 
worship  the  wondrous  brown  image  in  the  cathedral ; the 
Indians  of  the  Titicaca  basin  worship  Our  Lady  of  Copacabana ; 
but  the  Kechua  race  as  a whole  is  “ without  God  in  the  world.” 


174 


PAGANIZED  CHRISTIANITY 


The  following  extract  from  my  diary  at  La  Paz  describes 
such  a scene  as  is  often  witnessed  in  Peru  at  a festival  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  : — 

To-day,  ancient  Indian  customs  are  observed  here.  La  Paz 
may  be  Catholic,  but  its  Indians  have  paganized  the  Christianity 
of  their  conquerors.  An  hour  ago,  in  the  tiny  mud  church 
yonder.  Mass  was  said;  now  a wild  Indian  dance  is  being 
performed  beneath  its  walls.  All  day  long  the  poor  Indians 
have  been  entering  the  little  sanctuary  to  leave  gifts  for  the 
priest ; all  day  long  they  have  been  drinking  immoderately  of 
pea-nut  beer  and  alcohol. 

The  feast  is  in  honour  of  an  obscure  saint  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  but  save  that  the  priest  is  in  the  little  chapel 
which  stands  quiet  amidst  the  drunken  revelry,  the.  feast  is 
kept  in  fashion  as  it  was  when  human  sacrifices  were  offered 
to  heathen  deities  below  the  peaks  of  Illimani — when  each 
movement  of  the  religious  dance  was  full  of  meaning;  when 
the  feasters  pledged  themselves  in  native  chicha,  but  were  not 
drunk  with  the  “ fire-water  ” of  invaders. 

Let  us  make  our  way  through  the  throng  towards  the  church, 
and  see,  if  possible,  the  ceremonies  encoui’aged  by  the 
Roman  Catholicism  of  Bolivia.  “ The  old  customs,”  one  of 
its  pi'iests  has  said,  “ are  respectable ; it  is  well  to  preserve 
them,  only  taking  care  that  they  do  not  degenerate  into 
orgies.” 

The  tiny,  many-windowed  spire  is  hung  with  dozens  of 
Bolivian  fiags;  the  church  has  no  visible  door,  and  seems  to 
consist  merely  of  a room  about  ten  feet  square.  Its  farther 
wall  is  a mass  of  tinsel  ornaments  and  artificial  flowers ; 
there  is  a crucifix  in  a niche  on  the  right,  and  a cross  stands 
in  one  corner ; but  the  kneeling  Indians  who  crowd  the 
floor  seem  wholly  occupied  with  the  glittering  finery  of  the 
altar. 

There  is  no  room  for  us  to  step  inside,  and  the  crowd 
pushing  behind  carries  us  with  it  into  a little  yard  under  the 


zr  zt  /-A 


/ /,  //, 


“ Come  over  and  help  us  ! ” 

This  Indian  had  been  persuaded  to  enter  our  studio,  and,  taking 
a background  for  one  of  our  “gods,”  knelt  before  it  in  mute  appeal. 
Dare  we  resist  the  plea  of  his  piteous  ignorance? 


175 


A PAGAN  DANCE 


177 


church  walls.  At  first  the  strangeness  of  the  sight  which  greets 
our  eyes  dazes  and  half -stupefies  us.  We  are  only  conscious 
that  hideous  and  grotesquely  masked  figures  are  performing  in 
the  centre  of  a drunken  Indian  crowd,  and  that  the  smell  of 
pea-nuts  is  almost  overpowering.  A hundred  or  more  people 
have  crushed  into  the  tiny  yard,  and  there  is  no  chance  of 
retreat  now  ; those  crowding  through  the  narrow  entrance  only 
push  us  farther  into  the  ring  where  the  extraordinary  figures 
are  dancing.  It  is  all  too  strange  to  be  real — the  confused 
sounds  of  the  crowd ; the  Indian  music,  and  cries  of  the 
dancers ; the  stifling  atmosphere ; the  ancient  religious  obser- 
vance ; the  little  mud  church  with  its  paper  decorations  ! 

Look  at  the  dancer  nearest  to  us ! He  wears  a long,  curly- 
haired  wig  over  his  ghastly  mask,  with  its  depiction  of  great 
wounds  and  drops  of  blood.  On  his  beautiful  knitted  Indian  cap 
is  set  a crown  of  purple  velvet,  ornamented  with  silver  buttons, 
flowers,  and  feathers.  He  has  a white  shirt,  a gorgeously  em- 
broidered waistcoat,  full  white  knickers,  pink-and-red  striped 
stockings,  and  sandals.  Round  his  waist  and  on  his  shoulders 
are  strings  of  feathers,  and  his  painted  stick  is  ornamented  with 
a bunch  of  brilliant  plumes. 

Another  dancer  has  a penny  handkerchief — probably  manu- 
factured in  Manchester — over  his  long  dark  hair;  and  fitted 
above  it,  a crown  of  gold  and  silver  cardboard,  with  three 
gigantic  feathers  in  front  and  coloured  ribbons  hanging  behind. 
One  strange  figure  is  dressed  in  tight-fitting  woollen  clothes  of 
flesh  colour,  a short,  many-coloured  skirt,  and  a crown  over- 
burdened with  masses  of  plumes. 

Yonder  is  a black  mask  below  a jewelled  crown,  and  a rich 
and  brilliantly  embroidered  cloak  and  feather  girdle  glance  in 
the  sunshine  as  its  wearer  dances.  Now  one  of  the  most 
.striking  figures  is  whirling  towards  us ; his  wounded  face,  dark 
hair,  yellow  side-whiskers,  and  blue,  pink,  and  yellow  plumes 
combine  to  make  his  appearance  horrible.  But  his  outfit  is 
certainly  magnificent ; over  a .scarlet  velvet  coat  he  wears  a .stiff' 


178 


PAGANIZED  CHRISTIANITY 


gold  and  silver  garment  resembling  an  ancient  coat-of-mail,  save 
that  its  scales  are  not  of  iron,  but  of  gold  embroidery,  and  its 
edges  not  w ell-turned  metal,  but  trembling  silver  fringes.  From 
his  crown  hang  strings  of  beads  and  silver  chains ; a pink  silk 
handkerchief  is  round  his  neck ; he  wears  white  gloves,  and 
green  bead  bracelets  below  his  stiff  golden  sleeves  wdth  their 
glass  ornaments.  His  stockings  are  pink ; his  anklets  silver ; 
and  his  finely-made  leather  sandals  have  beaded  purple  straps, 
attached  to  his  waist  by  silver  chains. 

Every  dancer  is  dressed  differently : some  have  ear-rings ; 
some  valuable  old  gold  brooches ; some  magnificent  plush 
clothes ; some  golden  coats-of-mail  so  stiff  that  they  can  scarcely 
move ; some  very  little  clothing  at  all  except  many-coloured 
skirts  and  feathers. 

The  “ dance  of  the  sticks  ” and  a “ handkerchief  dance  ” are 
over,  and  now"  each  man  is  provided  with  a fish-shaped  rattle. 
Alcohol  is  again  passed  round,  and  the  drunken  excitement  of 
the  crowd  increases.  One  dancer  comes  forw'ai’d  and  invites  me 
into  the  ring  w'ith  him ; another  holding  up  the  yellow  locks  of 
his  wig,  exclaims  that  he  has  hair  the  same  colour  as  mine ; 
the  audience  cheers  and  exhorts  me  to  join  the  dance,  and  the 
freest  criticisms  are  passed  on  the  (jringa,  both  in  Spanish  and 
Aymara.^ 

The  scene  is  too  extraordinary  ever  to  be  forgotten ! In  the 
corner  is  an  old  Indian  w'ith  a se\"en-stop  bamboo  flute.  The 
afternoon  sunshine  is  fading,  but  his  long  black  hair  and  strong 
aquiline  nose,  his  shapeless  black  hat  and  red  poncho,  make  a 
striking  picture.  Kneeling  at  his  side  is  a younger  Indian  with 
a big  drum ; it  is  heard  once  or  tw"ice  in  the  quiet  of  a pause, 
and  then  the  rattles  and  flute  and  the  sound  of  moving  feet  and 
cheering  Indians  join  to  drown  it. 

The  sun  has  dropped  low"  now,  leaving  the  Chinese  lanterns 
and  paper  festoons  which  ornament  the  little  church,  pale  and 

' Kecluia  is  the  chief  Indian  language  of  the  Sierra  ; but  Ayinaril  is  still 
spoken  on  the  Titicaca  basin,  and  in  Bolivia. 


ILLIMANI  OF  THE  INCAS 


179 


faded.  As  we  find  our  way  out  into  the  open  air  again,  its  light 
gilds  the  distant  hill  summits,  and  casts  a soft  radiance  over  the 
whole  landscape.  To  westward,  some  willows  and  blue-gum 
trees  are  standing  dark  and  clear  against  a pale  blue  sky 
flecked  with  pink  clouds,  and  Illimani  is  glistening  in  the  warm 
light.  The  deep  blue  shadowy  depths  around  its  base  are  half 
covered  with  rosy  cloudlets,  and  every  crevasse  in  its  glacier 
seems  marked  on  the  pink  with  a hard  blue-grey  line.  The 
distant  hills  and  sky  are  purple ; only  a ridge  of  cloud-peaks 
stands  tipped  with  pink  above  the  grey. 

Thus  has  the  sun  set  over  Inca  and  Spaniard,  heathen  and 
Christian.  Thus  has  Inti  looked  down  in  the  past  on  human 
sacrifice,  as  now  on  ascending  incense  and  High  Mass ! Thus 
through  the  ages  has  the  Eternal  showed  His  faithfulness,  for 

“Tlie  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God 
And  the  firmament  showeth  His  handiwork  ; 

Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech, 

And  night  unto  night  sheweth  knowledge.” 

His  covenant  in  nature  needs  but  interpreting;  yet  the  half- 
drunken  Indians  who  have  watched  these  fantastic  dances  have 
no  eyes  for  the  sunset.  The  superstitious  have  repeated  Ave 
Marias  before  the  altar,  and  the  beauty  of  the  shrine  has  left  a 
stupefied  awe  in  their  hearts ; the  irreligious  have  .spent  all 
their  money  in  drink  at  the  feast,  and  by  giving  the  priest  a 
real  (2id.)  have  earned  an  indulgence  for  the  past  month. 

Inca  traditions  and  customs  these  people  have ; Roman 
Catholic  priests  and  masses  they  have ; but  the  Christ  who  died 
to  save,  and  lives  to  keep,  they  know  not;  the  God  of  creation, 
whose  wondrous  works  are  ever  about  them,  they  heed  not; 
the  Inspired  Word  of  God,  and  the  plan  of  salvation  it  unfolds, 
they  have  never  heard  of. 

Mr.  M^Nairn  writes  from  Peru;  “Jesus  Christ  is  to  these 
people  merely  an  image  they  are  called  upon  to  worship  at 


i8o 


PAGANIZED  CHRISTIANITY 


intervals  ; ^ they  know  nothing  of  a Saviour  from  sin.  Such  is 
the  confusion  of  ideas  among  them  that  in  many  places  their  so- 
called  worship  is  still  carried  on  by  means  of  the  old  heathen 
dances,  where  Christ  is  worshipped  as  the  sun,  and  the  Virgin 
Mary  as  the  moon. 

“ Entering  a village  one  day  not  far  from  Cuzco,  we  met 
a strange  procession.  A crowd  of  Indians  were  marching,  or 
rather  dancing,  along,  dressed  in  the  most  fantastic  manner. 
All  wore  grotesque  masks,  and  most  of  them  carried  some  noise- 
producing  instrument.  In  front  were  some  young  women  who 
danced  and  whirled  along,  shouting  and  singing,  and  behind 
came  this  strange  crowd  of  masqueraders  dancing  and  chanting. 
It  resembled  nothing  so  much  as  some  old  heathen  orgie.  Yet 
in  the  midst  of  this  crowd  was  carried  aloft  a crucifix  with 
a fiofure  of  our  Lord,  and  various  other  emblems  of  the  saints. 
It  was  a feast  day,  and  this  was  a procession  of  the  Church.” 

Here  we  see  the  combination  of  dances  that  are  now  purely 
social,  and  the  crude  worship  of  images.  Such  is  possible  in  villages 
where  there  is  a church  and  cura  (parish  priest),  but  what  of  the 
numberless  villages  that  have  closed  churches  where  mass  is  said 
only  once  a year  ? What  of  the  hamlets  which  have  no  church, 
no  cura,  no  idol  ? What  is  the  religion  of  such  villages  ? Alas  ! 
Their  neglected  inhabitants  are  still  pagans.  On  the  farm  of 
Urco  they  regard  with  awe  the  high  stone  said  to  be  a petrified 
princess.  The  spirit  of  the  Nuesta,  they  say,  inhabits  the  rock. 
In  many  places  the  first  wineglass  of  alcohol  is  invariably 
poured  out  on  the  ground,  and  the  customary  saying  is  repeated, 
“ To  Mother  Earth  who  gave  it.”  On  the  mountain  of  Pichu- 
pichu  above  Arequipa,  there  is  one  spot  on  the  hillside  where 
every  Indian  leaves  his  quid  of  coca  for  the  Earth  Goddess. 
And  as  in  the  days  when  piles  of  stones  were  set  up  to  pro- 
pitiate the  evil  .spirits  supposed  to  haunt  mountain  and  lake, 
the  Inca  Indians  of  to-day  who  travel  to  Cuzco,  rear  piles  of 

1 lu  the  majority  of  cases  they  know  the  Virgin  as  an  image  or  picture, 
but  have  never  heard  of  Jesus  Christ  even  as  an  idol. 


F>om  a photograph  /y'l  LLAMAS.  \ T.  E.  Payne, 

The  national  animal  of  Peru. 


“THE  PATRON  OF  BUTCHERS”  i8i 

stones  in  token  of  having  passed  the  worst  part  of  tlie 
road. 

At  the  corner  of  Sta.  Ana,  where  from  the  winding  mountain- 
path  Cuzco  is  first  seen,  tlie  Indians  salute  the  city  as  did  their 
ancestors  centuries  ago,  in  honour  of  the  Temple  of  Inti.  The 
silent  act — reverent,  childlike,  valueless  now,  is  sadly  typical 
of  the  Indians’  religion. 

We  have  seen  something  of  the  Christianized  paganism  of 
Peru  ; now  let  us  look  at  its  paganized  Chri.stianity. 

The  following  extract  from  my  diary  describes  a feast  in 
honour  of  “The  Patron  of  Butchers.”  Why  should  John  the 
Baptist  be  preferred  before  any  other  for  this  honour?  you 
ask ; and  the  Peruvian  replies  with  another  question : Do 
you  not  remember  that  it  was  he  who  said,  “ Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God”  ? Yes  ! incredible  though  it  may  seem,  for  this  reason 
St.  John  the  Baptist  is  the  patron  saint  of  the  butchers  ! 

On  the  eve  of  the  fiesta,  or  feast,  held  yesterday  in  his 
honour,  Castillos  or  wooden  frames,  ornamented  with  flags  and 
loaded  with  fireworks,  were  erected  in  the  plaza  for  the  fire- 
works of  the  morrow ; and  the  faces  of  the  Indian  crowd 
gathered  in  the  darkness  were  lit  up  by  several  huge  bonfires 
built  on  the  platform  just  outside  the  cathedral. 

From  the  green  ridge  of  Sachsahuamhn,  the  Inca  fortress 
overlooking  Cuzco,  flags  waved,  and  all  night  long  a trumpet 
kept  sounding. 

The  fiesta  of  San  Juan  dawned  with  the  clear  light  of  one  of 
Cuzco’s  loveliest  days.  The  mountains  seemed  to  cluster  closer 
than  usual  around  the  old  city,  and  the  blue  of  the  horizon 
to  stretch  away  to  a more  wondrous  depth  than  on  other 
days.  A spirit  of  excitement  was  abroad : the  Indians  with 
their  lambs  and  llamas  all  seemed  to  be  making  for  the  large 
plaza  whence  came  a strange  confusion  of  sounds ; the  bleating 
of  sheep,  the  hubbub  of  the  gathered  Indians,  flutes,  ti’umpets 
— all  drowned  by  the  constant  explosion  of  fireworks ! 


i82 


PAGANIZED  CHRISTIANITY 


A deafening  roar — a sudden  backward  run  of  the  crowd — 
a cloud  of  smoke  trailing  over  the  azure — and  we  realize  that 
a Castillo  has  been  lit.  One  after  another  they  explode  and 
salute  St.  John  the  Baptist  in  the  heaven  above.  The  crowd, 
however,  knows  more  of  noise  and  smoke  than  of  any  saint  in 
the  heavens ; it  is  the  day  of  San  Juan,  witliout  doubt,  but  is 
not  the  feast  for  the  Indians  ? 

In  the  cathedral  a strange  old  custom  is  being  observed  : 
the  Indians  sit  or  kneel  around  an  image  of  the  Baptist  with  a 
silver  lamb  in  his  arms ; and  at  the  side  of  nearly  every  woman 
is  a sheep.  It  is  a curious  sight — lambs  in  the  cathedral,  nib- 
bling bread  from  their  owners’  hands,  bleating  softly,  or  being 
led  forward  for  a blessing.  They  are  all  decorated  with  bright 
rags  or  paper,  their  wool  being  tied  up  with  a hundred  little 
coloui’cd  bows. 

Yes,  the  touch  of  the  hand  of  a priest,  a man  as  ignorant 
and  more  evil  than  they,  will  console  the  hearts  of  these  ignorant 
Indians.  Their  god  is  the  Church.  The  building  dedicated  to 
its  ceremonies,  or  the  casket  which  contains  its  Holiest,  or  the 
priest  who  administers  the  wafer,  or  the  ornaments  of  the  gown 
he  wears,  or  the  scapularies  which  his  hand  has  blessed,  or  the 
charms  which  he  says  have  been  made  virtue-yielding  by 
contact  with  an  image  of  the  Virgin,  or  the  relic  of  one  of  the 
saints,  which  but  to  behold  is  to  be  blessed — yea,  all  these  things 
are  to  the  poor  “ Christianized  ” Indian,  with  his  Cholo  half- 
brothers,  divine ! 

One  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church  has  had  the  courage  to 
admit  the  ignorance  and  superstition  which  he  found  amongst  his 
parishioners.  “ There  exists  superstitious  paganism  in  its  most 
repugnant  deformity,”  he  says,  “ and  absolute  ignorance  of  the 
rudiments  of  the  faith.”  ^ 

Never  have  I seen  any  more  pitiful  sight  than  that  of  the 
Indians  at  the  great  pilgrimage  to  the  Shrine  of  Our  Lady  of 

* Padre  Umi)ire. 


BUT  HE  REFUSED” 


183 


i i 


Copacabana.  They  knelt  in  groups  below  the  dazzling  image, 
families  and  villagers  together ; big,  dirty,  awkward  men,  with 
dusty  sandals  and  tangled  masses  of  black  hair.  In  silent  adora- 
tion they  knelt  there,  and  as  the  light  of  a thousand  candles 
fell  on  their  upturned  faces,  I saw  that  tears  were  coursing  over 
the  brown  furrowed  cheeks. 

If  these  “ Christianized  ” Indians  worship  tire  Church  and  its 
embellishments  as  a whole,  its  great  prophet  is  the  cura ; more 
than  one  Peruvian  has  said  to  me,  “ The  Indian’s  god  is  the 
cura.”  Their  ancient  worship  of  the  Inca  has  been  largely 
transferred  to  the  priest,  and,  alas,  he  is  more  often  a tyrant 
than  a father ! 

The  following  is  a story  which  the  missionaries  in  Cuzco 
heard  lately  from  the  lips  of  a poor  Indian ; — 

“ On  the  fourth  of  the  present  month  my  brother  died  in 
the  parish  of  Sumaro,  in  consequence  of  wounds  received 
while  working  on  the  new  railway  to  Cuzco. 

“ On  the  following  morning  when  we  were  going  to  bury 
him,  there  presented  themselves  the  abusive  governor  of 
Sumaro,  accompanied  by  several  of  his  followers,  who,  by 
order  of  the  blood-sucking  village  priest,  took  us  prisoners, 
along  with  the  widow  of  my  dead  brother. 

“ We  travelled  thus,  carrying  the  cox’pse,  a distance  of  nine 
miles,  to  the  house  of  the  priest,  who,  on  our  arrival,  notified 
us  that  he  was  going  to  perform  the  burial  ceremony,  and 
that  the  cost  would  be  £5,  to  be  paid  at  once,  without  any 
pretence  whatever.  He  also  gave  us  to  understand  that  he 
was  going  to  take  possession  of  all  the  belongings  of  the 
deceased. 

“ We,  as  poor  Indians,  had  not  £5  to  give  him,  and  my 
sister-in-law  was  in  danger  of  being  left  in  the  world  without 
money  or  bread  for  herself  and  the  children.  Our  situation 
was  critical,  and,  above  all,  pitiful.  Finding  ourselves  in  such 
a position  we  had  to  plead  with  the  inhuman  priest  not  to 
ask  us  so  much,  as  we  were  poor;  but  he  refused.  Three 


184 


PAGANIZED  CHRISTIANITY 


days  passed,  the  corpse  was  still  unburied,  and  we  had  been 
able  to  collect  only  £1,  which  we  gave  to  the  priest.  After 
much  pleading  he  allowed  the  body  to  be  buried.  Not  content 
with  the  money,  he  shut  up  the  poor  widow  in  his  own  house, 
as  a security  for  the  rest  of  the  money.  She  was  only  liberated 
when  someone  else  offered  to  stand  security.  The  poor  woman 
said  she  would  have  to  sell  all,  even  her  children,  in  order  to 
procure  the  money.” 

The  missionary  who  passed  on  this  pathetic  story  adds ; 
“ From  this  you  will  see  that  the  priest  of  Peru,  instead  of 
being  a burden-bearer,  is  a plague  to  his  flock.  Instead  of 
preaching  the  Gospel  of  love,  he  takes  from  them  what  jo}’^ 
they  possess,  and  gives  bitterness  and  woe.”  ^ 

Dr.  Walter  Ball,  who  has  come  into  contact  with  the  Indians 
of  the  Caylloraa  district,  writes : “ The  Indian  finds  his  worship 
somewhat  a luxury.  Salvation  is  not  free  to  him.  The 
priests  have  instituted  a system  of  excessive  forced  charges. 
For  the  blessing  of  the  crops,  for  burial,  baptism,  marriage, 
feast  days,  and  every  occasion  when  their  offices  can  possibly 
be  required  or  forced  on  the  Indian,  a tariff  of  exorbitant  fees 
has  been  arranged.” 

The  moral  influence  of  this  tyrannical  god  of  the  Indians 
is  evil  in  the  extreme.  The  result  of  nearly  four  hundred 
years  of  Romanism  is  “ filth,  immorality,  drunkenne.ss,  theft, 
or  complete  ignorance.” 

Markham  says:  “The  moral  condition  of  the  Indians  has 
sunk  to  its  low  level  through  the  bad  conduct  of  the  parish 
priests,  who  not  only  set  them  an  evil  example,  but  give 
cause  for  drunkenness  and  immorality  by  their  feasts  and 
processions.” 

Yet,  in  spite  of  his  recognized  evils,  the  cura,  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  Church,  is  the  Indian’s  god.  Indeed,  he  is  the 
only  god  which  an  Indian  brute  is  allowed  to  have. 

^ Mr.  T.  E.  Payne,  missionary  of  the  R.B.M.U.  on  the  farm  “Urco,” 
near  Cuzco. 


Chapter  XVIII — The  Indian  : His  Character  and  Mental 
Possibilities — 

The  expression  of  a wronged  race — What  schoolmasters 
think  of  the  Indian — Arithmetic  done  hj  means  of  beans — The 
strange  power  of  Indian  music. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE  INDIAN:  HIS  CHARACTER  AND 
MENTAL  POSSIBILITIES 

“ Eacli  of  us  inevitable, 

Each  of  us  limitless — each  of  us  with  his  or  her  right  ujjon  the  earth, 
Each  of  us  allow’d  the  eternal  purports  of  the  earth. 

Each  of  us  here  as  divinely  as  any  is  here.” — Walt  Whitman. 

YOU  have  seen  the  painful  expression  of  a child  that  is  deeply 
sad — self-contained  and  fearful — repressed  emotion  fast 
becoming  habitual  gloom  ? Such  is  the  expression  of  the  Inca 
Indian.  “ His  countenance  is  usually  clouded  with  a look  of 
profound  melancholy,  the  indelible  stamp  of  centuries  of 
intolerable  oppression.  The  worst  forms  of  tyranny  dis- 
appeared with  the  expulsion  of  the  Spaniards  in  1824,  and 
the  tribute  was  abolished  thirty  years  later.  But  the  crushing 
oppression  of  the  Spanish  conquerors  made  a deep  impression 
on  their  victims,  and  produced  a lasting  effect.  All  that  the 
down-trodden  people  could  do  was  to  oppose  a passive  resis- 
tance with  a constancy  peculiar  to  their  temperament,  and  this 
attitude  has  become  hereditary.”  ^ 

Their  gloom  is  general,  though  I do  not  believe  it  an 
essential  part  of  their  nature.  The  wee  children  are  as  glad- 
some as  those  of  the  homeland ; the  men  often  laugh  heartily 
when  the  fear  of  cruelty  is  removed  from  them ; but  the 
Indian  knows  that  to  tlie  Peruvian  he  is  a brute — no  more. 
He  realizes  that  he  is  poorer,  weaker,  and  more  ignorant  than 
others,  and  that  for  this  very  reason  they  will  take  advantage 
' C.  R.  Markliam,  History  of  Peru. 


i88 


THE  INDIAN 


of  him.  The  little  boys  soon  come  to  know  it  too,  and  a 
dignified,  preoccupied  bearing  takes  the  place  of  their  childish- 
ness. They  assume  the  expression  of  their  parents — that  of 
a wronged  race. 

This  is  the  first  characteristic  of  the  Indian  which  attracts 
a traveller’s  attention.  As  he  comes  to  know  the  people 
better,  be  recognizes  that  they  ai'e  essentially  children — con- 
tented, simple,  kind,  humble,  and  industrious,  yet  fond  of 
pleasure.  If  in  many  cases  oppression  has  tended  to  spoil 
the  Indian’s  sweet  spirit  and  childlike  nature,  it  has  proved 
his  nobler  qualities — patience,  gratitude,  and  faithfulness. 

Senor  Choquehuanca  Ayulo,  a lawyer  and  Bachelor  of  Arts, 
who  is  proud  of  the  royal  Inca  blood  in  his  veins,  writes  of 
his  own  people : — 

“ It  is  said  that  the  Indians  are  abjectly  servile.  And  what 
people  would  not  be  so  after  four  hundred  years  of  cruel 
slavery  ? It  is  said  that  they  are  indolent.  But  where  are 
the  human  beings  wbo  would  not  be,  if  continually  despoiled 
of  their  goods  ? It  is  said  that  the  Indians  are  addicted  to 
falsehood.  But  ai’e  not  nearly  all  our  cultured  and  public 
men  liable  to  the  same  charge  if  self-interest  is  at  stake  ? It 
is  affirmed  that  the  Indians  are  addicted  to  stealing,  but  this 
accusation  is  false.  The  number  of  thefts  amongst  them  is 
relatively  small.^  The  Peruvian  Indians  ai-e  accused  of  being 
opposed  to  civilization.  This  also  is  absolutely  false.  Many 
Indian  fathers  have  given  their  children  for  good  to  men  of 
means,  on  condition  that  they  be  taught  to  read  and  write. 
The  children  thus  taught  never  retrogress.  Within  a year  or 
so  several  schools  have  been  established  amongst  the  Indians 
by  a few  young  men  who  are  willing  to  .sacrifice  a great  deal 
for  the  good  of  these  people.  One  of  these  .schools  was  closed 
lately  on  account  of  the  threats  of  the  priests  against  the 
fathers  who  .sent  their  children  to  it. 

“ Notable  Indians  who  have  attained  to  high  governmental 
' This  is  only  correct  of  certain  parts  of  Pern.  See  p.  191. 


A MOUNTAINEER. 

This  man  could  well  compete  in  the  Marathon  race,  I think.  r>ong  journeys  accom- 
plished at  a steady  run,  over  his  own  mountainous  land,  have  developed  his  powers  ol 
endurance  to  an  extraordinary  extent. 


THE  OLD  STOCK 


189 


positions  have  always  been  progressive  men.  The  presidents 
Santa  Cruz  and  Castillo,  for  instance,  were  head  and  shoulders 
above  most  of  the  presidents  of  Peru.  One  of  them  showed 
his  foresight  and  wisdom  by  advocating  the  Bolivian  and 
Peruvian  Federation,  an  idea  whicli,  if  it  had  been  adopted, 
would  have  saved  Peru  from  its  present  humiliation  (in 
relation  to  Chili).  The  other  Indian  president  has  the  honour 
to  have  given  liberty  to  all  the  slaves  of  our  republic.  Dr. 
Jose  Domingo  Choquehuanca  was  a pure  Indian,  and  his  work 
in  the  province  of  Azangaro  is  quoted  by  a scientist  like 
Raimondi,  and  also  in  standard  works  like  the  Dictionary 
of  Peruvian  Legislation.” 

Nor  is  history  the  only  witness  to  the  mental  po.s.sibilities 
of  the  Indians.  The  schoolmaster  of  Paucartambo,  whose 
pupils  were  almost  entirely  Indian  boys,  told  me  that  he  con- 
sidered the  Indian  possessed  very  remarkable  mental  powers. 
He  is  not  quick  at  learning  Spanish,  Sehor  Valdiviso  said, 
and  evidently  dislikes  the  language,  but  when  that  is  mastered 
he  shows  unusual  proficiency  in  learning,  and  possesses  a 
capital  memory. 

The  progressive  schoolmaster  of  Lampa,  who  is  at  present 
teaching  fifty  boys  of  purely  Indian  blood,  says  that  they  do 
excellent  work,  and,  on  the  whole,  compare  very  favourably 
with  the  children  of  gente  decente. 

Dr.  Santiago  Giraldo,  a lawyer  of  Lima,  who  for  years 
has  worked  in  the  interest  of  the  Indians,  makes  an  indignant 
protest  against  those  who  “ judge  incapable  of  evolution  the 
race  which  has  produced  minds  like  those  of  Choquehuanca 
and  Lunarejo,  Sanchez  and  Bustinza  — heroes  like  Cahuide 
and  Olaya,  Tupac  Amaru  and  Pumaccahua.” 

Markham  says  the  Indians  have  “ intellectual  powers  fitting 
them  to  rise  to  the  l^ighest  positions  in  Church  and  State. 
Tupac  Amaru  as  a statesman  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
men  Peru  ever  produced.  General  Santa  Cruz,  whose  soaring 
ambition  so  nearly  succeeded  in  its  object,  had  Inca  blood 


190 


THE  INDIAN 


flowing  in  his  veins.  The  Indians,  as  a race,  were  capable  in 
the  past  of  achieving  a high  civilization,  and  under  intelligent 
direction  they  are  equally  capable  of  great  things  in  the 
future.  They  only  need  officials  and  priests  whom  they  can 
respect,  and  a settled  Government.” 

To-day,  hardly  any  of  the  Indians  can  read  or  write ; their 
mental  powers  are  totally  undeveloped,  and  their  children 
are  fast  leaving  the  age  when  the  memory  is  pliable,  and 
learning  possible.  When  an  Indian  wishes  to  make  out  his 
accounts  he  collects  100  stones,  which  he  lays  out  in  piles  of 
ten  to  represent  the  parts  of  a silver  dollar.  Sometimes  he 
carries  about  100  beans  to  count  with ; but  the  process  is  very 
laborious,  and  he  invariably  goes  away  with  the  conviction 
that  he  has  been  cheated. 

Dr.  Ball  writes  of  the  Indians  of  Caylloma : “ Their  general 
standard  of  intelligence  is  low;  no  trace  of  that  intellectual 
pre-eminence  which  was  said  to  have  distinguished  the  old 
Incas  is  evident.  They  are  quite  incapable  of  acting  on  their 
own  initiative,  but  properly  supervised  make  excellent  workers.” 
This  sentence  I feel  truly  to  sum  up  the  mental  condition  of 
the  Indians.  Great  leaders  have  arisen  from  amongst  them ; 
but,  thourrh  it  is  difficult  to  estimate  what  education  will 
accomplish,  initiatory  power  seems  lost  to  them  as  a race. 

This  characteristic  is  important  and  inevitable.  The  social 
system  of  the  Incas  was  calculated  to  produce  a good  child ; 
the  oppression  of  later  days  only  tended  to  develop  silent 
resentment  and  sullen  resistance.  Lack  of  initiatory  power 
in  the  Indian  is  therefore  not  surprising. 

As  a workman  he  retains  much  of  his  original  value.  The 
American  gentlemen  of  the  Inca  Mining  Company  find  the 
Indians  steady  and  I’eliable  labourers,  who  learn  the  work 
quickly,  and  accomplish  more  at  an  altitude  of  13,000  feet,  than 
would  be  possible  for  an  Englishman.  Sehor  Echinique,  the 
owner  of  one  of  the  largest  farms  in  Southern  Peru,  has  a high 
opinion  of  the  ability  of  the  Indians,  but  says  they  are  great 


DECEIT  AND  DEXTERITY 


191 

thieves.  The  thefts  are  not  large,  but  they  are  constantly 
taking  small  things,  and  secretly  exchanging  their  animals  for 
his.  Some  of  them,  he  says,  are  almost  as  clever  in  this  way  as 
was  Jacob. 

Dr.  Ball  cites  the  following  example  of  the  curiously 
mingled  order  of  cunning  which  is  especially  common  in  the 
mining  districts : — “ An  Indian  was  entrusted  with  the  carrying 
of  a large  bottle  of  potassium  cyanide  up  to  the  mines.  He 
was  carefully  instructed  as  to  the  very  poisonous  nature  of  the 
salt.  This  warning  he  looked  upon  as  merely  a pretext  of  the 
white  man  to  prevent  him  stealing  what  he  tliought  to  be  a 
valuable  kind  of  sugar.  On  the  way  up  he  broke  the  bottle 
and  secreted  a piece.  Fortunately  the  fear  of  detection 
prevented  him  from  eating  it  at  once,  and  on  arrival  at  the 
mines,  its  loss  being  discovered,  he  asked  permission  to  keep  it.” 

Mr.  Payne,  who  for  six  years  employed  men  in  the  industrial 
mission  at  Cuzco,  says  that  the  Indian,  if  treated  properly,  is 
a civil,  hard  worker,  and  though  not  usually  truthful,  is  not  to 
be  blamed  for  this,  the  fault  of  the  so-called  “ civilized  people,” 
with  whom  he  deals. 

Tliough  oppression  has  largely  succeeded  in  making  the 
Indian  a dishonest  workman,  and  the  lack  of  any  educational 
advantages  has  stunted  his  mental  development,  in  many  ways 
he  shows  marked  natural  gifts.  I have  watched  little  boys  of 
four  and  five  strutting  round  our  patio  unloading  the  llamas  of 
their  sacks  of  fuel,  rolling  up  the  hemp  ropes,  folding  and 
packing  the  empty  sacks — all  with  such  speed  and  neatness  as 
astonished  me.  It  was  a continual  wonder  also  to  watch  the 
women  and  children  spinning.  So  clever  were  they  that  the 
operation  looked  almost  magical.  On  the  left  arm  was  a bunch 
of  wool,  and  in  the  right  hand  the  thread,  being  drawn  out, 
and  wound  on  to  a reel  which  was  spinning  on  the  ground. 
With  a movement  of  the  hand  they  start  the  reel,  with 
another  stop  its  spinning,  yet  never  allow  it  to  unwind,  or  have 
they  any  need  to  check  it  with  their  hands.  All  this  is  done 


192 


THE  INDIAN 


while  other  matters  are  being  attended  to,  and  apparently 
becomes  a mechanical  process. 

Moreover,  the  Indians  are  an  imaginative  people.  At  the 
little  home  on  Urco,  where  we  lunched,  there  was  an  elaborate 
construction,  the  use  of  which  we  could  not  at  first  discover.  A 
long  rope  was  suspended  from  poles  stuck  in  the  ground,  and 
from  it  hung  stones  and  tins.  When  we  questioned  the  old 
lame  shepherd,  he  hobbled  up  to  the  line  and  shook  it.  Immedi- 
ately the  stones  hit  the  tins  and  set  up  quite  a jangling  and 
a tinkling.  The  contrivance  was  designed  to  scare  away  wild 
cats  from  the  fold.  When  the  wind  blew  at  night,  it  set  the 
strange  bells  ringing,  and  their  weird  sounds  would  certainly 
scare  away  most  wild  animals. 

The  native  music  of  Peru  is  exceedingly  interesting  and 
strange.  It  seems  fitting  that  the  people  of  such  an  unusual 
country — the  children  of  a unique  social  system — should  have 
a characteristic  style  of  national  music.  Certainly  the  yaravis 
of  Peru  are  unlike  any  other  music.  When  first  I heard  their 
plaintive  notes  come  wailing  through  the  night  air,  I listened 
spellbound  to  this  new  thing.  As  I came  to  know  and  love 
the  ancient  melodies  they  took  hold  of  me  in  a strange  way. 
An  Indian  sono-  can  unnerve  me  in  a few  minutes ; it  seems  to 
pluck  at  one’s  heart-strings,  making  the  world  a place  of  spirits 
where  the  impossible  is  ever  about  to  happen. 

There  is  surely  similarity  in  spirit  and  construction  between 
these  Indian  yaravis  and  the  sobbing  lyrics  sung  by  the  exiles 
of  Babylon.  They  are  intensely  patriotic  but  deeply  mournful. 
“ The  memory  of  former  wrongs  has  tinged  their  most  popular 
songs  with  sadness.  The  young  mother  lulls  her  infant  to  sleep 
witli  verses,  the  burden  of  wliich  is  sorrow  and  despair;  and 
the  love-.songs  usually  express  the  most  hopele.ss  grief.”  ^ 

Indians  are  always  singing.  Far  out  on  the  pampa,  away 
from  all  liuman  habitations,  I have  heard  strange  Kechua  words 
crooned  by  little  shepherd-boys;  liarvesters,  as  they  toil  up 
' C.  R.  Markham,  History  of  Peru. 


INCA  LYRICS 


193 


hill  with  their  immense  loads  of  barley,  invariably  sing  some 
plaintive  old  song;  and  families  travelling  along  the  dusty 
roads  unite  their  voices  in  strange  part-harmonies  to  wailing 
melodies  in  a minor  key. 

May  not  this  national  taste  for  singing  be  utilized  to  attract 
the  Indians  to  our  Lord  ? I have  noticed  how  any  hymn  in  a 
minor  key  at  once  touches  them  ; those  who  have  never  before 
joined  in  our  Gospel  songs  break  out  into  a strange  accompani- 
ment to  the  tune,  quite  contrary  to  our  English  ideas  of  music, 
and  yet,  I believe,  not  unmusical.  Below  the  windows  of  our 
little  meeting  room  there  is  often  a crowd  of  Indians ; they  are 
listening  to  the  singing,  but  cannot  be  persuaded  to  enter. 

God  speed  the  day  when  in  his  own  mountain  hamlet  the 
Indian  shall  hear  the  story  of  Jesu’s  love,  perliaps  set  to  the 
beautiful  melodies  of  his  own  sad  country ! 


13 


Chapter  XIX. — The  Indian’s  Wrongs — 

The  trinity  which  has  brutalized  the  Indian — An  army 
of  criminals — Men  who  can  only  live  in  the  mountains — How 
alcohol  is  forced  on  the  Indian  and  his  goods  stolen  as  payment 
— Pathetic  appeals  against  injustice  and  criielty — Who  cares  ? 


195 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  INDIAN’S  WRONGS 

“ Shall  tongues  be  mute  when  deeds  are  wrought 
Which  well  might  shame  extremest  hell  1 
Shall  freeman  lock  the  indignant  thought  ? 

Shall  Pity’s  bosom  cease  to  swell  ? 

Shall  Honour  bleed  1 — Shall  Truth  succumb  ? 

Shall  pen,  and  press,  and  soul  be  dumb  ? ” 

Whittier. 

TN  the  preceding  chapters  I have  tried  to  show  how  the 
Indian  lives  under  republican  rule,  but  I have  not  yet 
told  all  the  truth.  Theoretically,  the  Constitution  allows  the 
Indian  equal  rights  with  other  Peruvians,  but  the  moral  force 
of  the  country  is  not  strong  enough  to  see  that  just  laws  are 
administered.  Consequently,  the  Indian  is  at  the  mercy  of 
every  unscrupulous  individual.  The  bad  governor,  the  bad 
priest,  the  bad  merchant  “ form  a trinity  which  has  brutalized 
the  Indian  ” — so  writes  one  of  Peru’s  greatest  thinkers. 

Where  individuals  are  humane,  and  the  laws  of  the  country 
are  enforced,  the  Indian’s  lot  is  happy.  When,  as  in  many  cases 
which  might  be  mentioned,  he  falls  into  the  power  of  a tyrant, 
his  sufferings  are  almost  inconceivable.  Between  these  two 
extremes  are  varying  degrees  of  injustice  to  whicli  most  of  the 
Inca  Indians  are  to-day  subjected. 

I do  not  wisli  to  repeat  exaggerated  horrors,  so  shall  confine 
myself  to  examples  of  injustice  which  are  common,  and  must 
give  way  to  simple  reforms.  Senor  Ayulo  writes : “ As  the 

foreigners  who  visit  our  country  can  testify,  the  Indians  are  at 

197 


198 


THE  INDIAN’S  WRONGS 


the  present  time  in  cruel  bondage.  They  are  nothing  less  than 
slaves.  Before  all  others  the  Indians  should  enjoy  citizenship, 
but  they  are  outcasts  in  their  own  country.” 

The  wrongs  which  the  Indians  suffer  are  military,  educa- 
tional, governmental  and  judicial. 

The  army  of  Peru  consists  of  three  sections:  the  national 
standing  force  of  4,000  men,  in  which  every  citizen  must  serve ; 
the  national  guard  with  its  active  and  reserve  members,  who 
respectively  sei’ve  continuously  or  hold  themselves  in  readiness 
to  serve  in  time  of  war ; and  the  police  force  of  the  country.  A 
third  of  the  national  force  is  renewed  by  conscription  every 
three  years.  The  conscripts  are  supposed  to  be  chosen  by  lot, 
but  the  list  for  1902  shows  that  three  per  cent,  were  voluntary, 
one  per  cent,  were  drawn  by  lot,  and  the  rest  were  working  off 
punishment  for  past  infringement  of  the  law. 

The  advantages  of  the  system  are  threefold.  Firstly,  it 
has  extirpated  the  pernicious  custom  of  recruits  which  injured 
commerce  because  the  municipalities  drew  arbitrarily  from 
passers  through  their  centres,  thus  ruining  small  trade. 
Secondly,  it  has  increased  civilization,  and  the  spirit  of 
discipline  among  the  Indians.  Thirdly,  it  has  established  on 
a solid  basis  defence  for  Peru’s  future.  The  chief  disadvantage 
of  the  system  is  that  as  the  .spirit  of  the  country  is  not  martial, 
obligatory  service  is  necessary  to  uphold  military  laws,  and  the 
national  force  is  largely  composed  of  criminals. 

The  Indian  has  a deeply  rooted  hatred  for  a military  career, 
and  for  the  following  reasons: — Firstly,  a father  needs  his 
sons  to  help  him  at  .shepherding  or  agriculture.  If  they  are 
forced  into  the  army,  his  ignorance  leads  him  to  believe  that 
they  go  straiglit  to  war  and  to  certain  death.  The  family  with 
sorrow  gives  them  up  as  lost,  and  naturally  defames  the 
Government.  Secondly,  he  believes  that  gente  decente  and 
Cholos  are  freed  from  this  military  obligation,  and  that  the 
Indians  suffer  alone.  Thirdly,  the  soldiers,  after  having 
completed  their  term  of  service,  return  without  any  pay,  and 


INJUSTICE  AND  ABUSE 


199 


speak  against  life  in  the  barracks.  The  Indians  know  nothing 
of  civil  life,  and  therefore  conclude  that  to  lend  their  services  to 
their  Government  and  country  is  an  evil  and  punishment. 
Fourthly,  the  time  of  service  is  too  long,  and  formerly  the 
discipline  of  a soldier  was  too  rigorous;  after  three  or  more 
years  the  Indian  frequently  returned  to  find  a deserted  house 
and  no  traces  of  his  family.  Fifthly,  patrons  and  priests  find 
it  to  their  advantage  to  speak  against  the  profession. 

Moreover,  Indians  suffer  injustice  under  the  military  regime. 
A son  of  gente  decente  can  free  himself  from  his  obligation  by  a 
bribe,  and  an  Indian  will  be  forced  into  the  army  to  take  his 
place.  Every  Indian  is  supposed  to  be  enrolled  in  some 
municipal  register ; but  in  the  villages  and  hamlets  there  are  no 
offices,  and  the  ignorant  natives  who  come  to  Cuzco,  never 
having  heard  of  the  need  of  a number,  are  seized  by  the  police 
and  forced  into  the  army.  Furthermore,  the  hardy  Indian 
mountaineer  is  not  fitted  for  life  in  barracks.  The  tropical 
climate  of  Lima  kills  him ; lie,  like  the  llama,  can  only  thrive  on 
the  mountain-side.  It  is  estimated  that  seventy  per  cent,  of  the 
conscripts  taken  to  Lima  die  of  consumption,  or  return  to  their 
homes  physical  and  moral  wrecks.^ 

The  educational  lack  of  Peru  is  very  serious ; in  spite  of 
various  sincere  but  sporadic  attempts  at  reform,  the  Inca  Indian 
is  still  uneducated.  “ The  great  problem  ” writes  a Peruvian, 
“ is  to  extend  and  propagate  primary  instruction,  to  make  the 
Indian  a man  and  a citizen,  to  force  him  into  civilization.” 

The  governmental  abuses  are  varied  in  their  character  and 
cause.  Illegal  taxation  is  levied  on  Indians  who  are  ignorant  of 
the  laws ; taxes  are  collected  by  other  than  the  authorized 
functionaries,  and  without  any  receipt  being  given;  labour  is 

1 I liave  been  informed  that  this  high  rate  of  mortality  is  due  to  the 
condition  of  the  military  hospital  of  Lima,  which  is  reputed  to  be  reeking 
with  the  bacilli  of  tubercle 


200 


THE  INDIAN’S  WRONGS 


forced  under  the  name  of  taxation ; the  governmental  officials  are 
usually  unscrupulous  men,  who  convert  the  paid  service  which 
they  may  demand  into  slavery,  demand  honorary  labour  for 
governmental  works,  and  continually  raise  forced  taxes  which 
are  called  voluntary  subscriptions. 

Judicial  wrongs  are  also  common;  the  judges  are,  in  most 
instances,  notoriously  unjust,  and  the  influence  of  the  governor 
and  cura  is  all-powerful.  When  a judge  fails  to  persuade  an 
Indian  that  injustice  is  justice,  the  poor  native  is  forced  into 
compliance  by  threats,  imprisonment,  and  even  by  coi’poral 
punishment.  The  priests  and  local  authorities  employ  an  Indian 
to  collect  the  debts  of  his  fellow-Indians ; and  if  the  real  debtor 
fails  to  pay,  the  collector  himself  must  do  so,  which  is,  of  course, 
quite  contrary  to  the  laws  of  Peru.  Further,  should  he  fail  to 
pay  unjust  debts  with  cash,  he  has  to  do  so  with  his  flocks  or 
his  land. 

Until  the  Central  Government  gains  more  power,  and  its 
members  become  less  corrupt,  it  is  impossible  for  these  isolated 
officials  to  be  controlled.  No  one  cares  to  see  that  justice  is 
observed  amongst  the  Indians,  and  when  inspectors  ai’e  appointed 
they  are  bribed,  and  so  the  evil  continues. 

Abuses  connected  with  industry  and  commerce  fall  into 
three  divisions : the  abuses  suffered  by  Indians  living  on 
haciendas  or  in  hamlets ; abuses  in  the  employment  of  labour ; 
abuses  in  trade. 

The  Indian  living  on  the  hacienda  is  entirely  at  the  mercy 
of  his  employer.  Generally,  the  “ Indian  has  no  moral  help,  no 
protection,  no  doctor  to  visit  him  when  he  is  sick ; and  when  he 
dies  he  is  usuall}'  the  debtor  of  the  haciendado,  and  his  family 
has  to  take  up  the  debt.  Hence,  the  Indians  in  the  haciendas 
are  in  reality  slaves,  though  not  legally  so.” 

The  Indians  who  live  in  parcialidades  are  I’apidly  diminish- 
ing in  number.  Formei'ly  Indians  owned  lands  which  passed 
from  father  to  son ; but  during  the  last  thirty  years  the 


SCENES  ON  THE  SIERRA 


“THE  CRY  OF  BLOOD” 


201 


authorities,  priests,  and  haciendados  have  robbed  them  to  a 
scandalous  extent. 

The  methods  of  employment  on  the  Sierra  are  such  that  the 
Indian  is  invariably  wronged.  If  you  wish  to  employ  a work- 
man you  must  go  to  the  governor,  who  will  force  an  Indian  into 
your  service,  and  levy  half  his  rightful  wages. 

The  Governor  of  P , in  whose  house  Mr.  Payne  was  once 

staying,  sent  an  expedition  to  discover  a certain  buried  treasure. 
Women  and  babies  went  with  the  men,  and  through  a mis- 
calculation they  were  not  allowed  sufficient  food.  Some  were 
starved  to  death,  and  the  others  on  their  return  were  flogged 
unmercifully  because  they  had  failed  to  find  the  treasure. 

Indians  are  sometimes  forced  into  expeditions  going  down 
to  the  Montana.  In  their  thick  woollen  clothes  they  descend 
to  tropical  heat,  and  throwing  off  their  ponchos  suffer  intensely 
from  the  swarming  mosquitoes.  If  fever  does  not  then  attack 
them,  they  will  probably  fall  victims  to  it  on  ascending  to  the 
Sierra  again,  or  will  reacli  home  mere  wrecks  of  their  former 
selves. 

The  abuses  of  trade  are  many.  Indians  are  forced  to  sell 
cattle  and  wool  by  the  method  of  reparto  forzoso.  Thus  a 
merchant,  against  the  will  of  the  helpless  native,  pays  in 
advance  a certain  sum  of  money,  and  returns  in  a few  months’ 
time  to  collect  three  or  four  times  its  value  in  wool  or  some 
other  commodity.  False  scales  are  constantly  used  in  trad- 
ing with  Indians,  their  cattle  are  stolen,  the  Government 
appropriates  their  lands  of  salt  deposits,  and  they  do  not  know 
how  to  cultiv'ate  those  lands  which  are  given  them  in  exchange. 
Liquor  vendors  carry  their  poison  to  tlie  most  distant  parts  of 
the  country,  and  to  the  door  of  the  most  humble  Indian  liut, 
where  they  sell  by  reparto  forzoso} 

Over  and  above  all  these  abuses  are  those  perpetrated  b}^ 

’ Thus  alcohol  is  left  with  the  Indian  whether  he  wants  it  or  not ; and  in 
a few  months’  time  he  will  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  merchant,  who  will 
shamelessly  rob  him. 


202 


THE  INDIAN’S  WRONGS 


the  Church.  A curacy  is  the  monopoly  of  the  fees  of  the 
district  for  marriages,  baptisms,  and  other  ceremonies,  and  the 
priests  extort  from  their  poor  flocks  exorbitant  sums.  Heavy 
burdens  are  put  upon  the  faithful  in  the  form  of  tithes.  Indians 
must  provide  for  religious  feasts.  The  men  are  ruined  by  their 
term  of  forced  service  to  the  priest,  being  often  obliged  to 
purchase  themselves  everything  which  he  demands  during  that 
time,^  so  that  the  end  of  the  month’s  service  often  finds  them 
without  a cent  in  the  world.  The  forced  service  of  the  women 
to  the  priest  is  known  as  the  mitta,  and  to-day,  as  in  the  times 
of  Spanish  rule,  the  old  Indian  word  conveys  unmentionable 
abuses  in  numerous  instances. 

In  conclusion,  the  chief  causes  which  seem  to  underlie  these 
wrongs  are  three : — Firstly,  his  lack  of  education  leaves  the 
Indian  an  easy  prey  to  every  tyrant.  Secondly,  the  Indian 
has  been  kept  ignorant,  made  superstitious,  and  forced  into  vice, 
by  the  Roman  Catholic  system  of  Peru.  Thirdly,  although 
the  laws  with  regard  to  the  Indians  are  good  on  paper,  they  are 
seldom  kept. 

The  facts  have  been  written  down  somewhat  in  tabular 
form — no  glamour,  no  exaggerated  horror,  no  sentimental 
appeal,  no  touch  of  colour,  to  make  them  more  striking.  But 
they  are  facts. 

The  statements  are  unsupported,  you  say.  Where  are  the 
witnesses  to  this  state  of  things  ? How  do  I know  ? Some 
things  I have  seen,  and  of  those  I scarcely  dare  speak,  for  it  is 
well-nigh  impossible  for  one  of  Engli.sh  blood  to  remain  self- 
controlled  and  modei-ate  of  speech  in  presence  of  cruelty  to  the 
weak,  and  injustice  to  the  ignorant.  l\Iy  own  slight  knowledge 
more  than  confirms  all  that  others  tell ; it  could  not  be  other- 
wise. But  I have  not  made  one  statement  ba.scd  merely  on 

* Peruvian  law  decrees  that  some  one  in  each  village  shall  always  be 
found  to  serve  the  cura  ; the  Church  interjirets  this  to  mean  that  a cura  may 
demand  an  unlimited  amount  of  forced  unpaid  labour. 


“BITTER  FOR  SWEET” 


203 


hearsay.  Let  me  quote  a few  of  the  official  decrees  on  this 
subject  issued  in  Peru  during  the  last  four  years,  and  then 
testify  if  my  account  of  the  Indian’s  condition  appears  to  you 
probable  or  not ! 

Sub.  Prcf.  F.  Octavio  Negrete. 

Caylloma,  August  26,  1904. 

1.  Absolutely  prohibits  gratuitous  or  obligatory  service  of 
mittas,  fiscal  services,  etc. 

2.  Priests  must  themselves  provide  for  their  rights  at  the 
proper  rates.  They  must  not  exact  by  force  the  first-fruits 
from  the  faithful,  becaiise  these  are  only  a voluntary  obligation. 

3.  Neither  governors  nor  judges,  nor  particular  persons, 
must  obtain  wool  by  method  of  reparto  forzoso,  because  it  is  an 
abuse  against  the  liberty  of  the  industry,  and  a proved  deceit. 

4.  Cattle  are  not  to  be  taken  from  the  Indians  on  any 
pretext  unless  the  sale  is  voluntary  and  the  price  fair. 

5.  There  are  “ scales  ” which  give  40  lbs.  when  they  weigh 
25  lbs.  The  governors  must  carefully  examine  all  the  scales, 
and  send  any  untrue  scale  to  the  judge,  together  with  sucli 
information  as  may  lead  to  the  punishment  of  the  criminal. 

6.  Governors  must  denounce  the  extortion  by  the  priests  of 
exorbitant  fees  for  baptism,  and  also  the  imposition  of  taxes  on 
the  faithful  who  will  not  or  cannot  exercise  the  tasks  of 
devotees  which  the  priest  has  forced  upon  them. 

Tliis  is  to  be  published  by  the  organ  of  the  political 
authorities  in  each  district  and  village,  and  placed  where  all 
may  see  it. 

(Signed)  F.  OcTAVio  Negrete. 

Decrees  in  Apurimac. 

Jajmary,  1907. 

1.  Prohibits  el  reparto  forzoso  for  the  acquisition  of  wool, 
flocks,  or  other  species,  whatever  they  may  be. 

2.  Prohibits  also  the  custom  of  appropriating  the  animals 
and  goods  of  the  Indians  without  a previous  agreement  and  the 
payment  of  the  just  price. 

3.  Prohibits  the  imposition  of  “ gratuitous  service  ” in  what- 
ever form  it  exists. 


204 


THE  INDIAN’S  WRONGS 


Similar  decrees,  which  are  very  numerous,  give  an  appalling 
view  of  the  condition  of  the  Indians  of  the  Sierra ; and  their 
constant  repetitions  show  that  the  efforts  of  Senators  and 
Prefects  to  put  an  end  to  the  abuses  have  been  unavailing. 

Before  me  lie  seven  copies  of  El  Indio,  the  magazine 
published  in  Lima  by  Dr.  Santiago  Giraldo,  one  of  the  few 
earnest  friends  of  the  Inca  Indians.  In  the  numbers  issued 
during  1906  and  1907,  he  quotes  various  protests  made  before 
the  Government  in  the  capital.  I glance  through  the  pages, 
and  see  repetition  of  stories  which  I know  too  well  are  true : 

“It  was  impossible  to  obtain  justice  from  the  Junta 
Departamental.” 

“ My  friends  feared  the  long  journey  to  Lima.  They  were 
told  that  we  should  not  be  allowed  to  embark  at  the 
coast.” 

“ I came  alone,  with  only  the  clothes  which  I now  weai’. 
I am  here  to  plead  for  my  fellow-Indians  of  the  Sierra.” 

“ I know  not  whether  my  wife  and  little  ones  still  live.” 

Thus  many  of  the  pathetic  appeals  commence. 

The  following  speech  was  made  in  1905  by  the  represent- 
ative of  Indian  messengers  from  Juli,  Puno,  and  Chucuito: — 
“Since  1901  the  condition  of  the  Indians  has  become  daily 
worse.  In  September  an  extraordinary  persecution  broke  out 
amongst  them.  Many  were  thrown  into  prison,  their  families 
dispersed,  their  homes  abandoned. 

“ Twice,  I,  Mallea,  went  to  the  authorities  to  appeal. 

“ The  little  territory  of  Inchuamaya  which  belongs  to  me 
and  my  partners  is  in  mortgage  for  a forced  contribution  of  £4, 
and  besides  that,  the  industrial  contribution  of  another  £4 
weighs  heavily  upon  us.  Seeing  how  the  persecution  increased, 
and  fearing  that  the  military  commissioners  would  fall  any 
minute  upon  our  property,  and,  without  any  previous  notice, 
levy  the  conscripts  of  the  village,  we  resolved  to  undertake  the 
journey  to  this  capital  to  seek  liberty  and  the  guarantees  which 
it  was  impossible  to  obtain  in  Juli  or  Puno.  As  all  the  roads 


“ THE  SPOIL  OF  THE  POOR  ” 205 

were  guarded,  we  had  to  descend  to  the  coast  by  the 
mountains. 

“ When  we  left  we  knew  that  many  of  our  friends  had  been 
taken  prisoners,  chained  and  dragged  to  the  prison  of  Juli ; their 
houses  were  deserted,  and  their  wives  taken  with  them  to 
the  prisons.  Their  cattle,  clothes,  beds — everything  they 
possessed, — were  stolen  when  they  were  taken  away,  and  the 
doors  of  their  homes  were  broken.  Twenty-five  houses  in 
our  hamlet  are  deserted.  One  man  barely  escaped  with  his 
life. 

“ Formerly  some  of  our  friends  went  from  Juli  to  the  prison 
of  Puno,  where  they  drew  up  memorials  addressed  to  you, 
denouncing  horrible  acts  of  wholesale  murder,  incest,  robbery, 
destruction  of  cattle  and  houses,  . . . violent  acts  to  women, 
torments,  tortures,  in  these  same  villages.  Whenever  Indians 
were  unfortunate  enough  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Com- 
missioners they  were  sure  to  be  tortured,  and  then  made  to 
promise  that  they  would  not  go  to  Lima  to  complain.  They 
were  given  to  understand  that  the  powers  of  the  State  had 
authorized  the  extermination  of  the  Indian  race,  which  was 
indeed  absurd,  but  thus  the  authorities  use  the  weapon  of  deceit 
to  terrorize  the  ignorant  Indian. 

“As  you  see,  your  Excellenc}'^,  our  situation  could  not  be 
more  miserable  and  desperate. 

“ In  such  a conflict  we  find  no  other  remedy  for  our  unhappy 
situation  than  to  come  to  your  Excellency  and  beg  guarantees 
and  justice.  We  therefore  supplicate  from  your  Excellency 
that  you  will  give  us  a safe  passport,  and  a note  to  the  Senor 
Prefect  of  the  Department  of  Puno,  that  he  may  grant  us 
personal  rights,  liberty,  property,  and  safety  for  our  families  and 
houses.” 

So  the  appeals  continue — dozens  of  them  ! Yet  very  few  of 
the  Indians  ever  attempt  the  long  perilous  journey  to  the  Coast 
on  foot — across  the  fearful  desert,  along  the  seashore,  and  so 
to  the  distant  capital,  where,  like  the  Indians  we  saw  when  we 


206 


THE  INDIAN’S  WRONGS 


were  in  Lima,  they  may  wait  for  seven  years  without  being 
heard. 

“Shall  tongues  be  mute,  when  deeds  are  wrought 

Which  well  might  shame  extremest  Hell? 

Shall  freemen  lock  the  indignant  thought? 

Shall  Pity’s  bosom  cease  to  swell? 

Shall  Honour  bleed  ? Shall  Truth  succumb  ? 

Shall  pen,  and  press,  and  soul  be  dumb?” 

Nay!  We  must  stoop  to  “the  Wliite  Man’s  Burden  it  is 
our  moral  obligation  as  Christians.  We  have  no  political  right 
to  protest  on  the  Indians’  behalf,  but  we  can  take  to  Peru  the 
Gospel  which  will  give  her  true-hearted  citizens,  disinterested 
politicians,  and  just  officials.  We  cannot  interfere  with  the 
executive  forces  of  the  republic,  but  we  can  attack  the  evil  at  its 
very  root,  and  a new  social  system  will  surely  spring  up  in  Peru, 
if  the  false  religion  of  the  country  is  replaced  by  the  Faith  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

Many  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  England  have  made  their 
money  in  Peru.  Is  it  not  reasonable  that  they  .should  feel  an 
especial  obligation  to  make  some  return  to  the  land  from  which 
came  their  prosperity  ? 

Let  the  free  spirit  of  America  also  speak!  Shall  her 
Christendom  learn  the  story  of  a nation’s  oppression,  and 
remain  silent  ? Does  not  geographical  nearness  involve  moral 
responsibility  ? Does  not  a Munroe  Doctrine  involve  a corre- 
sponding missionary  duty  ? 

O Church  of  Christ ! in  whatever  part  of  the  globe  Thou  art 
established,  hear  the  cry  of  yet  another  needy  people  ! In  the 
past  Thou  hast  responded  nobly  to  the  appeal  of  far-off  lands — 

“ Go  on,  for  Thou  hast  chosen  well ; 

On  in  the  strength  of  God, 

Long  as  one  human  heart  shall  swell 
Beneath  the  tyrant’s  rod.” 


Chapter  XX. — Beyond  the  Mists — 

How  the  Amazon  gathers  — A leaf  ivhich  would  nearly 
cover  Eiorope — The  perils  of  the  Montafia — A port  of  20,000 
inhabitants  without  one  active  Christian  u‘orhcr  — The  only 
hospital  in  a territory  as  large  as  Italy — Tobacco  and  rubber 
au  naturel — Where  our  medicines  come  from — A land,  of  the 
future. 


207 


9 it  ‘t 

ft  < 


pi4Gf?AnnATie  ri4r 

/qriDf'S  Cirfd  tl^e  f)r?AZon 


CHAPTER  XX 


BEYOND  THE  MISTS  i 


. . . Worlds  of  solitude — 


Where  the  sun  smiles,  and  seasons  teem  in  vain, 

Unseen  and  unenjoyed.’’ — Thomson. 

ATER ! Its  thousand  voices  mingle  in  the  soft  air  about 


us — the  low  sweet  tones  of  unseen  rivers;  the  eager 
gushing  of  young  streams ; the  musical  murmur  of  cascades ; 
the  tinkle  of  tiny  streamlets  falling  from  a height. 

Water  seems  to  issue  from  those  clouds  which  half- veil  the 
jagged  black  peaks  behind  us.  Now  its  streams  are  like  silver 
threads  hung  from  ridge  to  ridge  of  the  mountain ; now  its  sun- 
lit film  makes  the  whole  of  the  rock  face  to  glisten ; now  its 
cascades  are  caught  by  the  wind,  and  fall  in  white  sheets  for 
hundreds  of  feet,  dissolving  in  rainbow  colours  which  are  lost  in 
the  blue  of  the  atmospliere,  or  plunging  into  beds  of  ferns  and 
flowers  far  below.  A few  hours  ago  we  were  crossing  the 
snowy  eastern  barrier  of  the  Sierra ; yet  now,  in  this  land  of 
enchantment,  on  the  fringe  of  the  Montana,  we  can  scarcely 
conjure  up  the  remembrance  of  the  vast  solitudes  of  the  pampa, 
of  the  cruel  cold  of  the  mountains,  of  the  bleak  snowy  plains 
and  perilous  ice-covered  peaks  from  which  we  liave  come. 

We  are  still  nearly  as  high  above  the  sea  as  Cuzco — an 

* I was  unalile  myself  to  descend  to  the  Montana  of  Pern,  but  have  com- 
piled the  two  following  chapters  after  very  careful  study  of  the  diaries  of 
travel  published  by  the  Lima  Royal  Geographical  Society,  as  well  as  of  the 
letters  of  missionaries.  Every  detail  of  description  may  be  authenticated. 


2 10 


BEYOND  THE  MISTS 


altitude  which  the  three  highest  mountains  in  England,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland,  piled  on  each  other,  would  not  attain ; but  in  de- 
scending this  eastern  slope  of  the  Andes  we  have  come  from 
Siberian  winter  into  Italian  spring.  Hillsides  green  as  those 
of  England  are  about  us ; the  flowering  shrubs  and  vines  remind 
us  of  Southern  France;  the  masses  of  purple  Lassiandra  and 
orange  Cassia,  of  the  Southern  States.  But  though  these 
beauties  are  familiar,  what  of  the  sight  which  greets  our  eyes 
if  we  continue  our  journey? — the  mist-land,  where  sunbeams 
play  on  the  white  robes  of  the  mist-spirit,  and  rainbow  colours 
sleep  in  their  soft  folds.  When  the  white  vapour  breaks  away 
below  us,  palms  and  tree-ferns  appear,  but  for  the  rest  the 
Montana  is  veiled. 

What  lies  beyond  the  mists  ? Only  hearts  that  are  brave 
and  limbs  that  are  strong  does  Nature  permit  to  penetrate  to 
the  world-wonder  hidden  there.  Eight  thousand  feet  below  us 
is  gathering  the  greatest  river  on  earth,  which  will  carry  the 
waters,  now  rippling  and  rushing  past,  out  to  the  far  Atlantic, 
3,000  miles  away. 

The  river  basin  hidden  from  our  sight  may  be  likened  to  a 
gigantic  leaf,  such  as  would  almost  cover  Europe.  Its  chloro- 
phyll cells  are  the  trees  of  the  Amazonian  forest,  and  its  silver 
veins  the  tributaries  of  the  greatest  of  rivers.  The  mid-rib  of 
the  Amazonian  leaf  is  more  than  2,000  miles  long.  It  has  its 
base  at  Para  on  the  Atlantic ; its  central  point  at  Manaos ; and 
its  apex,  only  300  miles  from  the  Pacific,  at  Iquitos.  This 
influential  port  belongs  to  the  Peruvian  republic,  which  also 
owns  between  10,000  and  20,000  miles  of  water-way  navigable 
for  steamers  of  four  to  eight  feet  draught,  and  which  rules  on 
the  Amazon  from  its  farthest  sources  to  within  a few  hundred 
miles  of  Manaos. 

Besides  contributing  to  this  system  immense  rivers  such  as 
the  ]\Iadera,  which,  in  their  north-easterly  course  from  the 
Andes  to  the  Amazon,  represent  the  oblique  veins  of  the  great 
leaf,  Peru’s  mountains  are  the  birthplace  of  the  three  rivers 


THE  ANDES  AND  THE  AMAZON 


2 I I 


which  form  the  chief  and  most  distant  source  of  the  Amazon. 
North  Peru  is  watered  by  two  of  these — the  Marandn  and 
Huallaga — and  the  southern  provinces  of  the  republic  by  the 
beautiful  Ucayali.  The  latter  is  formed  by  three  rivers  with 
which  we  have  already  become  familiar  in  the  Cuzco  district ; 
the  lovely  Vilcamayu  or  Urubamba,  which  flows  through  the 
Vale  of  the  Incas;  its  sister  stream,  the  angry  Apurimac,  which 
rages  in  its  narrow  prison  gorges ; and  the  Paucartambo,  which 
breaks  through  the  Andean  barrier  into  the  forest-land  farther 
south  than  any  other  tributary. 

The  Andean  chain  is  the  only  key  to  the  mysteries  of  the 
Amazon.  Observe  its  two  parallel  ranges,  the  Western  un- 
broken— the  Eastern,  cleft  by  narrow  river  gorges,  where,  in 
cataracts,  whirlpools,  and  rapids,  the  Peruvian  rivers  make 
their  way  down  to  the  forest.  Notice  its  two  remarkable 
mountain  knots  where  the  Eastern  and  Western  Cordillera  join, 
the  Northern  giving  rise  to  the  great  Manandn  and  Huallaga, 
and  the  Southern  to  the  tributaries  of  the  Ucayali.  If  these 
distant  confluents  of  the  Amazon  look  small  in  comparison  with 
the  main  stream  itself,  recollect  that  one  may  steam  beyond 
Iquitos  1,000  miles — as  far  as  from  the  mouth  of  the  Congo  to 
Stanley  Falls,  or  from  the  coast  of  China  to  the  navigation 
limit  on  the  great  Yang-tse-kiang;  and  300  miles  farther  than 
along  the  St.  Lawrence  from  Ontario  to  the  ocean — before 
reaching  that  part  of  the  Urubamba  where  steamers  cannot  float. 

With  the  white  mist  and  hot  humid  air  which  ascend  from 
the  land  below  us,  mingles  the  fascination  of  the  unknown. 
Others  have  felt  it,  and  no  one  ever  resisted  the  call  of  the  mist- 
land.  Klondyke  allures  her  thousands,  but  the  Montana  also 
has  fabulous  wealth  in  her  gold  streams ; “ the  Magic  North  ” 
draws  some  with  the  spell  of  its  unreached  wonders,  but  this 
forest  land  boasts  itself  the  largest  tract  of  unexplored  country 
upon  earth.  Has  the  Congo  rubber  ? Amazonia  more.  Have 
the  West  Indies  gums  and  spices  ? The  heart  of  South  America 
is  for  tropical  products  the  richest  region  known. 


2 12 


BEYOND  THE  MISTS 


But  that  this  wonderful  wealth  may  be  appropriated  only 
by  the  worthy,  Nature  has  made  it  almost  inaccessible. 

“ We  are  going  to  make  our  fortune,”  the  adventurers  say  as 
they  turn  from  the  Andes  towards  the  Montana;  and  though 
these  pioneers  return  poorer  than  they  went,  in  physical,  moral, 
and  financial  strength,  their  children  will  find  the  tracks  which 
they  lost,  and  spend  their  lives — perhaps  to  the  end — in  the 
great  jungle. 

Imagine  them  warring  against  Nature  in  the  dense  under- 
growth;  machetes  in  hand  they  cut  a track — clothes  tom 
from  their  back,  provisions  failing,  and  always  the  fear  of 
a lonely  death  added  to  their  many  hardships.  Unknown, 
alone,  without  the  world’s  applause,  they  explore  rivers,  open 
up  territories,  and  add  their  contributions  to  their  country’s 
map. 

We  too  will  go — from  this  view-point  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Andes  of  Southern  Peru,  will  make  our  way  to  Iquitos,  the 
home  of  earth’s  most  daring  adventurers.  On  the  steep  descent 
the  atmosphere  becomes  warmer,  the  mists  lie  more  heavily,  and 
the  silence  is  broken  only  by  the  patter  of  great  water-drops 
falling  from  the  boughs  above.  So  dense  is  the  undergrowth 
that  we  can  see  but  a few  yards  into  the  jungle  on  either  side, 
and  a canopy  of  green  shuts  out  the  sky  from  sight.  Stumbling 
and  slipping  on  rotten  twigs  and  roots  of  trees ; sinking  in  mud 
to  the  knees,  starting  at  the  crackling  in  the  bush  which  may 
denote  the  presence  of  a bear  or  puma ; wading  up  to  the  waist 
in  water  through  one  river  after  another ; plodding  on  slowly, 
painfully,  where  any  moment  we  may  find  ourselves  surrounded 
by  savages — so  we  descend.  The  depths  of  the  low-lying 
Amazonian  forest  are  as  a new  world  to  our  senses.  We  seem 
to  stand  in  a silent  nave,  where  knotted  roots  form  fanta.stic 
stalls,  and  tall  trunk  pillars  hide  their  heads  in  an  ethereal  dome 
of  green,  the  fair  home  of  monkeys,  humming-birds,  and  trailing 
flowers.  Immense  .snakes  are  intertwined  in  the  creepers,  and 
lie  “ like  necklaces  of  coral  ” on  the  dead  leaves ; green  parrots 


“HEAT-ROTTED  JUNGLE  HOLLOWS”  213 


are  chattering,  dazzling  finclies  and  bntterflies  flitting  about, 
and  the  air  is  heavy  with  tropical  scents.  As  day  closes,  the 
evening  sky  glows  through  windows  of  verdure,  and  later  on 
moonlight  floods  the  dense  forest  with  a mystic  splendour. 

Our  journey  is  continued  by  water,  and  the  days  are  never- 
to-be-forgotten  when  Indians  punt  the  dug-out,  or  row  the 
pine-wood  canoe,  and  we  float  down  the  murmuring  river  with 
its  deep  green  lights  and  wonderful  reflections,  its  forbidding 
banks  of  mangrove,  and  the  mingling  rose  and  grey  and  blue 
and  crimson  of  its  feathered  population.  In  the  swamps  we 
perchance  catch  sight  of  the  great  tapir,  while  the  cry  of  frogs 
and  plovers  fills  the  air.  The  sandbanks  are  alive  with  mos- 
quitoes, and  sometimes  swarming  with  alligators  and  fresh-water 
tortoises. 

So  we  pass  down  the  river — now  racing  with  the  tide ; now 
fighting  for  life  with  the  debris  of  fallen  trees  whirling  north- 
wards ; now  shooting  perilous  rapids ; now  anchoring  the  canoe 
in  the  mud-bank,  until  an  excursion  into  the  forc.st  for  game 
shall  have  been  made. 

In  certain  rivers  fish  is  abundant.  Here  may  be  found  the 
crab  which  forms  the  delicious  national  fish  of  Peru ; or  a kind 
of  cod  weighing  over  100  lbs. ; or  an  immense  fish,  often  10  feet 
long,  which,  when  harpooned  and  salted,  forms  the  chief  food  of 
the  district. 

At  a small  Peruvian  port  we  board  a steam  launch,  which 
carries  us  down  where  the  river  broadens,  until  at  Iquitos  it  is 
immensely  wide.  Now  in  this  busy  town  of  heat  and  hustle,  of 
glittering  calomina  roofs,  and  hastily  constructed  wooden  bunga- 
lows, we  are  in  the  heart  of  the  Peruvian  Montana. 

Iquitos  is  isolated  from  the  Pacific  Coast  by  an  almost 
impassable  mountain  range.  Its  post  may  be  conveyed  to  the 
capital  more  easily  by  steamer  via  New  York  and  Panama, 
than  sent  by  the  difficult  overland  route.  Only  a hardy  and 
experienced  traveller  would  attempt  that  five  weeks’  journey  to 
Lima,  but  anyone  could  reach  Liverpool  from  Iquitos  by  a 


BEYOND  THE  MISTS 


214 

pleasant  sea-trip  of  four  weeks’  duration.  This  Peruvian  port 
is  much  nearer  to  Manchester  than  to  Mollendo,  to  Cardiff  than 
to  Callao.  It  has  consequently  drawn  its  sons  from  all  parts  of 
the  earth : Americans,  Germans,  Italians,  Frenchmen,  English- 
men, Spaniards,  and  Peruvians  meet  in  its  streets.  In  1888 
their  total  number  was  only  2,000 ; yet  so  remarkable  has  been 
the  development  of  this  Montana  district  that  to-day  the  popu- 
lation is  approximately  ten  times  that  number. 

Iquitos  stands  on  an  elevated  plain  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Amazon,  2,250  miles  from  the  Atlantic,  yet  only  350  feet  above 
sea-level.  It  was  formed  as  a colony,  the  Peruvian  Government 
erecting  buildings  for  officials,  and  also  an  important  naval 
factory  manned  by  English  mechanics.  The  town  has  fine 
Government  offices,  a High  Court  of  Justice,  important  business 
houses,  a High  School,  a saw-mill,  and  an  excellent  wharf.  Its 
streets  are  electric  lit,  and  its  balls  and  receptions,  clubs  and 
theatre,  as  fa.shionable  as  those  of  Arequipa. 

Like  Panama  and  other  tropical  towns,  Icjuitos  has  suffered 
from  a high  death-rate,  due  to  lack  of  knowledge  and  care 
rather  than  to  fatal  climate.  It  is  hot,  humid,  and,  with  proper 
precautioms,  should  be  healthy ; yet  malaria,  dysentery,  anaemia, 
and  epidemics  such  as  smallpox,  measles,  and  convulsive  cough 
have  devastated  the  population.  Throughout  the  whole 
Montana  region  of  Peru  the  only  doctor  and  hospital  to  be 
found  are  in  Iquitos ; and  even  there  the  inhabitants  are  bound 
to  confess  that  although  hygiene  is  taught,  it  is  not  practised. 
Death  is  regai’ded  with  strange  indifference,  and  the  most 
common  precautions  against  disease  are  neglected. 

Iquitos  has  no  convent,  and  only  one  church.  “ With  a few 
honourable  exceptions,  the  clergy  exercise  their  ministry  under 
the  impulse  of  a desire  to  obtain  riches  rather  than  to  fulfil 
their  evangelical  mission.”  So  wrote  an  eminent  Peruvian 
gentleman  in  the  magazine  of  the  Lima  Royal  Geographical 
Society,  concerning  the  pi’iests  of  the  forest  provinces.  He 
also  expressed  his  conviction  that  one  of  the  chief  needs  of  the 


IQUITOS 


215 


Montana  was  that  “ civilization  should  be  cemented  by  the 
worship  of  God,”  and  that  for  this  end  the  present  clergy  should 
be  replaced  by  true  missionaries  who  would  “ penetrate  to  the 
heart  of  the  virgin  forest  with  the  Gospel  of  the  Cross.” 

We  should  not  expect  to  find  the  fanaticism  of  the  Coast 
in  this  far-away  Montana  port,  for  the  ideal  which  inspired  its 
foundation  and  blessed  its  growth  was  Progress.  The  leaders  of 
life  in  Iquitos  are  the  most  progressive  men  in  Peru,  urged  on 
by  some  of  the  most  progressive  foreigners  in  the  world.  If 
a man  is  not  exiled  from  home  through  his  own  misdeeds,  he 
must  needs  be  one  who  has  pluck,  determination,  and  power, 
to  have  settled  here.  Enterprising  Peruvians  and  Europeans 
unite  in  the  development  of  this  important  centre.  Their  town 
is  founded  upon  new  principles : the  rest  of  Peru  was  built 
upon  Catholicism ; but  that  system  has  never  gained  a hold 
in  the  Montana.  The  race  they  are  forming  is  new ; it  has  large 
po.ssibilities  and  corresponding  temptations. 

The  finest  of  men  and  also  the  most  degraded  meet  in  Iquitos. 
Not  only  are  Peruvian  and  Spanish  gentlemen  here,  but  also 
the  desperadoes  of  the  world — the  scum  of  European  society. 
The  lowest  and  vilest  learn  stoical  endurance  and  desperate 
daring  in  the  wilds,  it  is  true,  but  they  care  neither  for  God 
nor  man.  No  town  on  earth  is  more  “ God-forsaken  ” than 
Iquitos : not  one  active  Christian  worker ; not  one  mission  hall ; 
not  one  temperance  club ; not  one  Evangelical  place  of  worship ; 
but  instead — hundreds  of  drink-shops  and  dens  of  unutterable 
depths  of  sin,  to  allure  the  young  man  who  finds  himself  alone 
on  its  shore. 

The  inspiration  and  education  of  the  immense  difficulties 
of  life  in  the  Montana  will  only  make  it  truly  great  if  Christ’s 
followers  will  step  in  and  help  to  remedy  these  evils. 

Iquitos — what  English  schoolboy  knows  the  name  ? What 
geography  book  shows  the  vital  connection  of  the  town  with 
the  opening  up  of  a million  square  miles  of  the  world’s  most 


BEYOND  THE  MISTS 


216 

choice  storage  ? If  you  have  never  realized  its  importance, 
come  and  stand  on  the  wharf  which  runs  out  into  the  broad 
grey  stretch  of  Amazonian  w'aters,  below  the  business  houses 
of  the  port.  Palm  trees  lift  their  heads  into  the  mist  from  the 
lowland  line  of  the  distant  bank ; a few  balsas  and  canoes  lie 
about  the  muddy  shore ; but  the  rest  of  the  scene  is  characterized 
by  the  stirring  life  of  the  business  world  beyond  the  Atlantic. 
There,  great  cotton  bales  are  being  shipped  on  to  a German 
steamer ; Peruvian  cotton  has  no  rival  in  the  world ! There, 
workmen  are  filling  a ship’s  hold  with  sacks  of  sugar  which 
are  on  their  way  to  America  and  England ; for  nowhere  does 
the  sugar-cane  grow  so  luxuriantly  as  in  this  land ! There, 
specimens  of  wood  are  being  shipped — rosewood,  palm,  cedar, 
mahogany,  and  satinwood;  “nowhere  in  the  world  is  there 
such  a variety  of  useful  and  ornamental  woods  as  at  the  forests 
of  the  Marahon ! ” ^ There,  a merchant  vessel  is  taking  on 
board  cocoa,  coffee,  cinnamon,  vegetable  ivory,  indigo,  tamarinds, 
almonds,  gums,  and  other  spices  which  flourish  in  this  hothouse 
of  the  West. 

What  is  the  strange,  dry,  brown  vegetable  material  which 
that  woman  carries  ? Ah ! that  is  some  of  the  renowned 
tobacco  of  the  Montana.  And  what  are  those  balls  and  sheets 
of  ugly  black  ? Ah ! that  is  the  most  valuable  and  plenteous 
of  the  exports  of  Iquitos.  That  is  india-rubber  ! 

Every  product  of  the  wonderful  Montana  is  represented  in 
this  busy  scene : those  packets  contain  dried  coca-leaves,  from 
which  cocaine  will  be  extracted;  others,  bitter  cinchona  bark 
containing  the  two  priceless  alkaloids,  (juinine  and  cinchona ; in 
that  scientist’s  case  are  packed  samples  of  Peruvian  ipecacu- 
anha, and  the  bark  and  seeds  of  a strychnine  genus  by  which 
the  savages  poison  their  aiTOws,  and  the  narcotic  stems  of 
“ Dead-man’s  tree,”  which  the  witch-doctors  suck,  beneath  the 
full  moon,  when  they  wish  to  fall  into  a trance  and  prophesy. 

iSurely,  we  think.  Professor  Orton’s  words  are  true : “ If 
’ Professor  Orton. 


NATURE’S  DISPENSARY 


217 


the  valley  of  the  Amazon  is  not  the  Ophir  of  Solomon,  as  some 
suppose,  it  is  certainly  worthy  of  the  name.  Its  industrial 
and  commercial  plants  already  known  and  used  are  beyond 
enumeration,  but  when  science  and  commerce  shall  have 
threaded  every  part  of  its  forest,  an  immense  harvest  will  b(i 
I’eaped.” 

A babel  of  many  tongues  floats  over  the  water  as  two  of 
the  cargo  steamers  signal  their  departure.  Down  the  far 
stretch  of  silver  grey  they  steam  until  lost  to  sight  in  the  glorj'’ 
of  the  sunrise.  As  we  board  the  passenger  steamer  which  is 
to  carry  us  to  the  foothills  of  the  Northern  Andes,  the  prayer 
in  our  hearts  is,  that  even  as  the  great  orb,  which  hours  ago 
waked  England  from  sleep,  now  penetrates  the  forests  of  Peru, 
so  help  may  come  from  the  homeland  to  this  young  and  waking 
people,  not  only  by  way  of  commercial  enterprise,  but  also 
charged  with  spiritual  inspiration ! 

The  a.scent  of  the  Andes  from  the  Amazon  is  not  so  steep 
here  as  in  Southern  Peru.  We  skirt  the  Pampa  of  Sacramento, 
which  covers  the  ground  between  the  Ucayali  and  Huallaga 
with  rolling  grassy  plains,  and  at  the  little  port  of  Yurrimaguas 
on  the  Huallaga,  commence  our  journey  overland,  leaving  the 
inhabitants  of  that  tiny  cluster  of  mud-huts  busy  loading  a 
merchant  steamer  with  straw  hats,  salt,  sarsaparilla,  rum,  cotton, 
and  fish.  It  is  the  port  of  Moyobamba,  the  town  for  which  we 
ai'e  bound.  Wooded  hillsides  and  verdant  valleys  delight  us 
throughout  a six  days’  journey,  and  at  an  altitude  of  2,700  feet 
we  reach  Moyobamba,  where,  it  is  said,  “ Nature  is  so  prodigal 
that  everybody  can  get  a living,  except  physicians  ! ” Ten 
thousand  people  live  in  this  beautiful  and  healthy  spot,  and 
their  chief  industry  is  the  weaving  of  the  fibres  of  pine  leaves 
into  Panama  hats.  In  a mean  temperature  of  72°  fruit  attains 
unequalled  perfection — orange-trees  blossom  all  the  year  round ; 
vines  bear  three  crops  of  grapes  annually ; delicious  pineapples 
weigh  as  much  as  20  lbs. ; and  paltas  (alligator  pears),  guavas 


2i8 


BEYOND  THE  MISTS 


(small  pomegranates),  olives,  figs,  and  many  tropical  fruits  un- 
known in  England,  grow  wild  on  the  beautiful  hillsides. 

On  our  way  to  Chachapoyas  we  cross  country  of  immense 
agricultural  and  mineral  possibilities.  The  sweet  flowers  and 
crimson-veined  leaf  of  the  bush,  which  first  gave  to  the  world 
quinine,  are  about  us ; also  the  pale  yellow  blossoms  of  the  coca, 
the  red  berries  and  dark  green  leaves  of  immense  coffee-bushes, 
which  bear  two  crops  a year,  and  the  tall  trees  from  which 
Peru’s  excellent  cocoa  is  made.  Frost  is  unknown  in  this 
region,  and  rain  falls  every  month  in  the  year.  Farms  which 
could  maintain  thousands  of  head  of  cattle  are  here  being  sold 
for  £50.  Although  colonists  are  offered  free  tracts  of  lands  by 
the  Peruvian  Government,  yet  in  the  120  miles  from  Moyobamba 
to  Chachapoyas  we  pass  scarcely  a dozen  houses. 

Chachapoyas,  with  its  monastery,  cathedral,  and  barracks, 
is  7,600  feet  up  in  the  Andes,  and  has  a delightful  equable 
climate,  with  a mean  temperature  of  62°.  The  fertile  soil  around 
yields  all  that  the  5,000  inhabitants  need,  and  requires  hardly 
any  attention.  Some  day,  Professor  Orton  believes,  the  world 
will  be  sui’prised  at  the  mineral  wealth  of  this  region ; magnetic 
iron  in  great  deposits,  copper  pyrites,  silver,  gold,  coal,  salt,  and 
other  minerals  are  to  be  found  in  abundance. 

Chachapoyas  is  considered  the  best  laid  out  and  cleane.st 
city  west  of  IVIanaos,  and  as  we  climb  the  Andean  peaks  which 
separate  it  from  Cajamarca  and  the  railway  to  the  Pacific 
Coast,  we  realize  at  least  something  of  the  land  which  lies 
beyond  the  mists. 


Chapter  XXI. — Black  Gold — 

The  sine  qua  non  for  success  in  the  Montana — A peep 
into  the  too-often  tragic  life  of  a ruliber-trader — Face  to  face 
with  starvation — Savages  who,  when  in  full  dress,  wear  a collar 
of  monkey  teeth — Where  women  are  sold  for  knives — A strange 
legend  of  the  Deluge — Traders  in  human  heads. 


219 


CHAPTER  XXI 


BLACK  GOLD 

“ Botofe  bo  le  iwa  ! ” (Rubber  is  death).— Congo  Proverb. 

VER  the  usual  dinner  of  a Sierra  inn  the  Peruvian 


Colonel  and  his  English  friend  had  talked  late  into  the 
night.  The  brilliant  tropic  moon  was  high  in  the  heavens,  and 
the  candle  in  the  mud  wall  of  the  verandah  had  guttered  out. 

“ Black  Gold,  we  call  the  rubber ! ” The  Colonel’s  mellow 
Castilian  tones  vibrated  slowly  in  the  still,  rarefied  air,  before 
he  added,  “ And  the  rubber  trade  is  more  remunerative  than  the 
irold  mines  themselves.”  Then  followed  reminiscences  of 
Montana  life — of  crimes  which  cannot  be  written,  but  which 
were  common  in  that  sin-stricken,  blood-stained  region ! Any 
humanitarian  ideas  which  the  Colonel  had  possessed  during 
early  years  in  Paris,  had  been  dispelled  by  actual  contact  with 
wild  tribes  in  Peru’s  forest  land.  Now,  with  a graceful  flourish 
of  his  cigar,  he  could  tell  the  missionary  that  his  deliberate 
opinion  concerning  the  savages  of  the  Montana  was  that  the 
only  way  to  deal  with  “the  beasts”  was  to  kill  them  off  as 
rapidly  as  possible.  To  a pi’otestation  based  on  the  teaching 
and  example  of  Jesus  he  could  reply  with  a laugh:  “Ah,  sir, 
it  is  evident  that  Jesus  never  knew  Peru.  As  a sine  qua  non 
for  success  in  this  section  of  tlie  country,  you  must  have  capital 
to  start  with,  and  cruelty  as  your  method.” 

Save  for  the  Englishman’s  knowledge  of  similar  conditions 
on  the  Congo,  he  would  not  have  been  able  to  credit  this 


221 


222 


BLACK  GOLD 


account  of  the  depths  to  which  men  sink,  when  in  the  struggle 
for  gold  they  can  commandeer  native  labour  without  the 
restraint  of  public  opinion.  He  was  face  to  face  with  the 
problem  of  the  Montana — the  problem  of  a rubber  trader,  a 
savage,  and  sometimes  a priest. 

Sufficient  rubber  to  tyre  300,000  motor-cars  is  exported 
yearly  from  Iquitos.  Caucho,  it  is  called,  and  the  men  who 
collect  it,  caucheros.  But  who  among  the  thousands  through 
whose  hands  the  caucho  must  pass — the  merchants  who  buy  it, 
the  manufacturers  who  refine  it,  the  shopmen  who  sell  it,  the 
children  who  play  with  it — realize  that  nearly  every  band  or 
ball  or  bicycle  tyre  represents  a tragedy  ? 

Adventure  was  never  more  thrilling  than  is  the  life-story 
of  a cauchero.  He  may  hail  from  palace  or  prison,  from  the 
Old  World  or  the  New,  may  have  ruined  his  youth  and  broken 
his  mother’s  heart,  or  thrown  up  a promising  college  course 
and  left  a Christian  home  merely  for  the  sensation  of  life  in  the 
wilds.  No  one  knows  or  cares.  In  the  Montana  men  meet  on 
a level,  and  one  cauchero  is  the  equal  of  any  other.  In  a week 
he  squanders  the  hardly  gained  spoils  of  a year,  and  then  he 
must  turn  from  the  excitements  of  Iquitos  to  the  lonely  camp. 
By  steamer  and  launch  he  navigates  to  a distant  Amazonian 
tributary ; and  then  his  canoe  is  punted  up-river,  a savage 
at  the  long  pole,  a woman  guiding  with  a paddle  in  the 
stern,  and  a rifle,  gun,  and  accordion,  with  some  rice  and 
salt  fish,  as  baggage.  The  cauchero  wears  ancient  corduroy 
trousers,  a shirt,  a slouch  hat,  and  a belt  carrying  two  re- 
volvers and  a machete.  He  is  thin  and  sallow-skinned;  for 
weeks  at  a time  he  has  had  to  live  in  malarial  swamps  on 
jungle  fare. 

If  he  is  seeking  the  common  kind  of  rubber,  for  which, 
technically  speaking,  the  word  “ caucho  ” is  exclusively  used,  he 
will  pitch  his  camp  where  game  is  plentiful,  and  then  cut  a way 
into  the  forest,  marking  his  trail  on  the  trees,  and  leaving 


RUBBER  AU  NATUREL 


223 

provisional  camps  as  centres  for  rubber-gathering.  Incisions 
in  the  form  of  a V are  made  in  the  trunks  of  the  caucho  trees 
which  he  selects,  and  when  the  sap  has  been  drained  from  the 
upper  part  of  their  trunks  into  rubber  bags,  they  are  cut  down, 
and  the  liquid  which  remains  is  collected  in  grooves  in  the  ground. 
The  juice  of  a plant  called  “ camole-milk  ” is  then  mixed  with  the 
sap  to  accelerate  coagulation,  and  when  the  caucho  has  solidified 
in  long  strips  it  is  rolled  into  balls.  It  is  impossible  to  obtain 
this  kind  of  rubber  without  destroying  the  trees,  and  so 
devastating  is  the  process  that  between  ten  and  twenty 
years  will  probably  suffice  to  exhaust  such  districts  as  the 
Madre  de  Dios. 

The  better  kind  of  rubber  is  obtained  from  trees  of  from 
50  to  70  feet  in  height.  These  grow  in  groups  of  from  100 
to  150,  covering  a patch  of  ground  known  as  a seringal.  The 
seringuero,  or  trader  in  fine  gum,  makes  paths  between  the 
trees,  catches  their  sap  in  cups,  and  then  smokes  it  in  a fire  of 
pine  cones.  During  half  the  year  his  seringal  is  flooded  and 
he  must  find  work  elsewhere ; but  each  tree  will  yield  about 
11  lbs.  of  rubber  in  six  months,  and  the  group  may  be  worked 
at  this  rate  for  twenty  years. 

To-day,  where  a seringal  has  100  trees  it  might  be 
supporting  300,  and  it  is  certain  that  the  planting  of  rubber  trees 
in  the  Montana  of  Peru  would  ensure  good  profits  in  ten  years’ 
time.  Four  per  cent,  export  duty  is  levied  upon  caucheros  who 
have  a ten  years’  lease ; but  seringueros  who  work  rubber 
districts  pay  only  5d.  a year  for  each  seringal. 

The  life  of  a rubber-trader  is  like  that  of  no  other  man. 
A missionary  once  entered  into  it  for  a few  days,  and  the 
following  is  his  account  of  an  expedition  to  relieve  some 
starving  caucheros,  who  had  been  delayed  by  floods  in  their 
journey  on  a x’ubber-laden  canoe,  and  had  exhausted  their 
provisions : — 

“ The  canoe  was  loosed,  and  in  a moment  we  had  darted  into 
tlie  centre  of  the  river,  and  were  being  swept  down  at  a 


224 


BLACK  GOLD 


startling  pace.  The  water,  which  was  as  yellow  as  mud,  and 
had  almost  the  consistency  of  pea-soup,  carried  down  piles  of 
rubbish,  huge  logs,  and  whole  trees.  We  were  in  the  midst  of 
it  all,  sailing  on  bravely.  I had  never  been  in  such  a canoe 
before,  and  often  held  my  breath  as  we  steered  through  the 
floating  trees,  dashed  past  projecting  snags,  touched  the  fringe 
of  a foaming  whirlpool,  or  literally  flew  over  a roaring  rapid. 
The  cauchero  was  quite  calm,  only  occasionally  shouting, 
“ Fuerza  ! fuerza  ! ” (strength),  as  he  urged  the  men  in  the  bow 
to  keep  the  canoe  in  position.  He  had  taken  several  glasses 
of  whisky  before  leaving  and  was  quite  talkative.  Here,  he 
said,  the  Victoria  was  lost  while  crossing  a rapid ; there,  he 
was  attacked  by  a herd  of  wild  pigs ; over  on  the  other  side 
he  had  shot  a tiger  and  tapir ; a little  farther  down  some 
savaofes  had  dragged  him  out  of  the  river  in  an  unconscious 
state.  Thus,  with  the  changing  scene  and  the  captain’s  talk, 
I was  too  much  occupied,  when  not  busily  engaged  baling 
water  out  of  the  canoe,  to  think  of  the  danger ; and  before  I 
realized  the  fact,  two  hours  and  twenty  minutes  had  passed. 
We  had  covered  about  forty-five  miles,  and  already  sighted 
the  boat  for  which  we  were  in  search,  tied  up  to  a steep  bank 
in  a bend  of  the  river. 

“ When  we  pulled  in  our  canoe,  ‘ Captain  ’ Nelson  and  his 
fifteen  men  were  overjoyed,  especially  when  their  eyes  lighted 
upon  the  provi.sions.  Their  position  was  serious.  Even  if  the 
river  fell  that  night  it  would  take  them  at  least  three  or  four 
days  to  reach  camp.  Their  only  supply  consisted  of  a 
few  pounds  of  rice,  a pinch  of  salt,  and  some  green  bananas. 
They  had  a number  of  pet  monkeys  when  they  left  the  station 
on  the  ]\radre  de  Dios,  but  all  had  been  devoured  on  the  way, 
with  the  exception  of  a tiny  black  one.  They  looked  almost 
like  savages  as  they  stood  among  the  bamboos  on  the  bank 
where  they  had  just  erected  their  crude  habitation.s.  Some 
had  face,  hands,  and  feet  dyed  black  with  berries  obtained 
from  the  savages,  in  order  to  keep  away  flies  and  mosquitoes ; 


“ but ! ” 


225 

others  were  decorated  with  bright  parrot  plumes.  The  whole 
of  the  front  quarter  of  beef  which  we  brought  was  pi’epared 
for  the  pot,  but  some  of  it  was  eaten  before  it  was  warm, 
and  none  of  it  remained  for  the  moiTow.  After  a chat  with 
the  men,  I went  to  bed  under  a sheet  of  canvas,  and  slept 
well,  notwithstanding  the  cries  of  the  monkeys  in  the  forest 
close  by. 

“ I laid  myself  out  to  know  the  inner  life  and  thought  of 
these  caucheros.  I mixed  among  them,  and  as  far  as  possible 
was  one  of  them.  I succeeded  to  some  extent,  but  it  has  left 
me  sad  at  heart  and  almost  ashamed  to  be  called  a man.  To 
see  a community  of  men — fine-looking,  brave,  strong — men 

whom  a stranger  would  trust  and  honour,  but ! After  four 

years  among  missionary  students,  four  days  in  such  company 
seemed  almost  overwhelming ! 

“ Again  I am  puzzled,  as  often  before,  to  know  why  more 
strong  Christian  men,  who  long  to  be  missionaries  for  Christ, 
do  not  push  out  to  the  borders  of  civilization  and  even  into  the 
midst  of  heathenism.  How  is  it  that  the  pioneers  of  commerce 
are  generally  men  who  look  for  every  opportunity  of  degrading 
the  natives  ? Why  do  not  Christians  take  the  lead  ? ” 

Wherever  the  white  man  goes  in  the  Montana  there  are 
those  who  can  .steer  the  rapids  better  than  he,  who  know  the 
track  of  the  tiger  and  jaguar  better  than  he  can  ever  hope  to, 
and  who  can  live  in  the  swamps  and  withstand  the  attacks  of 
malaria  in  a fashion  impossible  to  one  of  his  race.  What  of 
the  savages  of  the  Amazon  ? What  of  their  numbers,  tribes, 
languages,  life,  and  religion  ? 

“ The  valley  of  the  Amazon,”  says  Professor  Orton,  “ is 
probably  the  most  sparsely  populated  region  on  the  globe. 
There  are  not  40,000  souls  along  the  banks  of  the  Amazon  and 
Marandn.  Many  of  the  towns  marked  on  the  map  do  not 
exist,  or  are  represented  by  a solitary  palm  hut.  There  are, 
it  is  true,  numerous  clans  of  savages,  but  their  numbers  are 

15 


226 


BLACK  GOLD 


insignificant,  probably  not  amounting  to  60,000  in  all  the 
Peruvian  Montana.” 

The  following  is  a list  of  the  largest  tribes  numbered  by  a 
cauchero,  who  for  ten  years  has  studied  this  region,  and  whose 
reliable  information  was  published  by  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  of  Lima : — 


North.  Savages  of  the  Marax6n  and  Peruvian  Amazon. 


Huitotos 

20,000-25,000 

Orejones  (Ears) 

1,500-2,000 

Andoas 

2,000-3,000 

Iquitos 

1,000 

Antipas 

2,000 

Aguarunas 

2,000-2,500 

Jeberos 

Cocamas 

2,500 

Achiotes 

Ticunas 

15,000-20,000 

tral.  5°-10°  Latitude  South. 

Oinaguas 

800-1,000 

Mayorunas 

1,500-2,000 

Capanalinas 

3,000-4,000 

Nahuas 

2,000-3,000 

Cashibos 

3,000-3,500 

Shipibo.s 

800-1,000 

Shetibos 

800-1,000 

Campas 

3,000-4,000+3,500 

Conibos 

1,000-1,500 

Remos 

800-1,000 

Amaliuacas 

0,000-9,000 

Piros  . 

300-000 

Mojos  . 

0,000 

Pamaris 

3,000-4,000 

Yaniainadis 

2,000-3,000 

th.  11°  Latitude  South. 

Campas 

14,000-10,000 

Maclicos 

0,000-7,000 

Total,  122,000-152,000 

The  languages  of  these  tribes  differ  widely — from  the 
primitive  Injeinje,  which  appears  to  have  only  one  word,  to 
the  complete  Campas,  Aguarunas,  Antipas,  and  Muratos,  and 
the  languages  of  the  Pix’os,  Orejones,  and  Conibos,  The  short 


A Son  of  the  Forest 


This  is  a savage  type  from  the  Montana  of  Peru.  Surely  he  and 
his  fellow-eountrymen  are  worth  saving  ! 


FOREST  FASHIONS 


229 

vocabulary  whicli  follows  is  compiled  from  the  tribe  of 
Arzaires : — 

father  . . ppapfa 

mother,  brothers  mmamma 
man,  male . . huni 

woman,  female  . ayfahui 
son,  child  . . pmsi 

day  . . . mackaijmm 

The  Arazaires  have  only  two  numbers  with  which  to  count : 
1 is  nunchina ; 2,  butah ; 3,  butah-nunchina ; 4,  butah-butah ; 
and  any  greater  number,  huacana,  or  “ many.” 

Most  of  the  savages  are  of  a medium  height ; but  they  vary 
in  colour,  according  to  their  tribes,  from  ebony  to  pale  copper. 
All  have  long,  straight,  black  hair,  muscular  limbs,  and  laughing 
black  eyes.  Some  wear  no  clothes ; others  when  in  full  dress 
display  a collar  of  jaguar  or  monkey  teeth ; one  tribe  judges 
beauty  by  the  size  of  the  piece  of  wood  inserted  in  the  lobe  of 
the  ear ; and  another  preserves  as  the  prerogative  of  chieftain- 
ship the  right  to  suspend  a single  bean  from  the  nose.  There 
are  savages  who  weave  square-looking  sacks  of  shirts  from  the 
fibrous  bark  of  a tree ; others  who  dye  their  bodies  orange,  and 
stain  the  figures  on  their  tattooed  faces  with  black  walnut  juice  ; 
and  others  who  wear  cotton  shirts  and  are  known  as  “ palm- 
teeth,”  because  they  use  the  dark  juice  of  a palm-root  to  dye 
their  front  teeth.  Some  are  cannibals ; some  more  civilized ; 
but  few  have  any  other  occupation  than  fighting  and  hunting. 

The  I’esidence  of  a savage  family  is  a palm-thatched  hut 
surrounded  by  a field  of  yucas  and  bananas,  and  sometimes 
potatoes  and  maize.  The  yuca  root  forms  their  chief  food, 
and  from  it  they  make  a drink  which  somewhat  I’esernbles 
chicha. 

Women  do  all  the  work  of  gardening,  cooking,  carrying,  and 
weaving;  and  although  several  belong  to  one  man,  they  live 
happily  together.  The  price  of  a woman  varies  from  a hatchet 
to  a knife. 


night  . yamuiki 
sun  . fiiarri 
moon  . hushe 
liot  . ithsisihua 
cold  . mathsidhua 


230 


BLACK  GOLD 


Wars  ai-e  common.  Any  pretext  is  sufficient : an  axe ; the 
eggs  of  a turtle ; the  right  to  fish  or  hunt ; or  the  desire  for 
more  women.  Chieftainship  is  obtained  by  valoui',  and  only 
recognized  in  time  of  war,  after  which  a general  dispersion 
takes  place,  each  head  of  a household  becoming  supreme  in 
his  own  spliere. 

The  religions  of  the  Montana  are  a mixture  of  witchcraft 
and  superstition.  Two  gods,  one  good  and  one  evil,  are 
supposed  to  exist,  and  to  these  all  tlie  events  of  life  are 
attributed.  One  tribe  represents  the  Supreme  Being  by  a 
tiger’s  head,  and  its  witch-doctors  offer  sacrifices ; others  try 
to  propitiate  the  evil  spirit  by  cruel  heathen  rites.  The 
i\Iuratos  preserve  some  interesting  traditions.  A story  of  the 
deluge  is  still  narrated  in  the  Amazonian  forest  somewhat  as 
follows : A Murato  was  fishing  one  day  in  a lake,  and  happened 
to  kill  a little  lizard  because  it  swallowed  his  bait.  But  the 
mother  of  the  lizard  was  so  angry  that  she  lashed  the  lake 
with  her  tail  until  it  was  in  a tumult.  The  water  flooded  the 
surrounding  country,  and  all  people  living  were  drowned.  Only 
one  man  escaped ; he  climbed  a palm  tree,  and  remained  there 
for  several  days  and  nights,  in  the  midst  of  black  darkness. 
Every  now  and  then  he  threw  down  a nut,  and  when  he  heard 
it  splash  in  the  water  he  knew  that  the  earth  was  .still  covered. 
At  last  a palm  nut  fell  with  a dull  thud,  and  he  de.scended, 
knowing  that  the  flood  was  over.  He  then  built  himself  a 
house,  and  fenced  a field,  and  when  he  had  buried  a piece  of 
his  own  flesh  in  the  ground,  a woman  grew,  with  whom  he 
lived  happily  and  had  many  children. 

Another  most  interesting  legend  tells  of  the  origin  of  the 
races.  In  the  beginning  of  the  world,  all  men,  it  says,  lived 
in  a great  subtei-ranean  cave,  the  moutli  of  which  was  guarded 
by  a tiger.  One  day  a liero  arose  wlio  fought  with  the  tiger 
and  killed  him,  so  that  mankind  was  free  to  go  out.  Being 
very  dirty,  the  cave-dwellers  heated  water  in  a huge  earthen- 
ware jar.  The  first  ones  to  wash  came  out  white ; those  who 


SAVAGE  OR  SAINT  ? 


231 


followed  them  had  to  use  dirty  water,  and  so  came  out  brown ; 
while  the  last  to  bathe  in  the  great  earthenware  jar  remained 
Negroes. 

Only  the  most  important  savage  tribes  have  been  located 
on  the  map ; in  the  north  of  the  Peruvian  Montana  are 
the  Aguarunas  which  include  the  Muratos,  the  Mayorunas, 
and  Orejones;  in  Central  Peru  the  wild  tribes  of  Conibos, 
Schipibas,  Cashibos,  and  Amahuacas ; in  Southern  Peru,  the 
Piros  and  Campas. 

Travellers  and  historians  agree  that  several  of  these  tribes 
once  formed  part  of  the  Inca  Empire.  The  territory  of 
the  Piros  and  Campas  would  easily  be  entered  from  the 
capital  of  Tahuantin  Suyo,  and  from  legends,  remnants  of 
sun-worship,  and  ruins  of  ancient  fortifications  and  towns 
which  may  be  found  in  the  Montana  to-day,  it  is  supposed 
that  these  tribes  were  tributary  to  the  Incas.  At  the  time 
of  the  Conquest  they  persistently  resisted  the  advance  of 
Spanish  soldiers  and  Roman  Catholic  missionaries.  In  order 
to  obtain  a footing  there,  the  friars  took  one  of  the  Campas 
savages  to  Spain,  and  after  giving  him  a good  education, 
brought  him  back  to  his  own  land,  and  introduced  him  to 
the  Campas  as  a survivor  of  the  Incas  whom  they  so  deeply 
revered.  The  missionaries  hoped  to  gain  influence  tlu’ough 
the  popularity  of  Santo  Atahualpa,  as  the  pretender  was 
christened ; but  he,  perfidious  youth,  raised  an  insurrection 
amongst  his  own  people  and  expelled  the  missionaries  from 
the  Montana. 

Many  of  the  Campas  are  still  hostile,  and  if  treated  badly 
will  retaliate  with  savage  vengeance.  Only  a short  time  ago 
a convent  was  sacked,  and  on  another  occasion  two  English 
coffee-planters  were  killed. 

Both  the  Campas  and  Piros  are  more  intellectual,  brave, 
and  good-looking  than  most  other  tribes ; they  make  excellent 
traders,  rowers,  and  hunters,  and  quickly  assimilate  civilization. 

It  is  amongst  these  tribes  that  the  priests  have  chiefly 


232 


BLACK  GOLD 


worked,  with,  liowev^er,  but  poor  success  so  far  as  Christianity 
is  concei'iied.  A Christian  savage,  it  is  said,  can  only  be  dis- 
tinguished from  his  pagan  fellows  if  perchance  he  wears  more 
clothes.  He  has  been  baptized,  but  knows  little,  if  any,  more 
of  Christianity  than  he  did  when  worshipping  the  sun,  or 
prajdng  before  fetishes  after  the  manner  of  his  tribe. 

Amongst  the  Campas,  marriage  has  been  reduced  to  a very 
Sample  ceremony.  Having  decided  upon  the  woman  whom  he 
wishes  for  a wife,  the  savage  warrior  sends  a band  of  his 
friends  to  capture  her ; they  make  an  assault  upon  the  hut 
where  she  lives,  and  carry  her  off  by  force.  Then  when  the 
marriage  is  an  accomplished  fact,  the  tribe  gives  itself  to 
feasting  and  dancincf. 

Old  age  is  looked  upon  with  no  reverence  in  the  land  of 
the  Campas;  old  mothers  and  fathers  become  the  carriers  of 
wood  and  water  for  their  households,  and  must  feather  arx’ows 
for  their  children.  When  they  die  their  bodies  are  thrown 
into  the  river,  their  houses  and  implements  destroyed,  the 
trees  which  they  planted  cut  down,  and  all  that  is  possible 
done  to  obliterate  their  memory.  Vague  ideas  are  to  be  found 
amongst  them  in  regard  to  the  futui-e  life.  It  is  supposed  that 
the  spirit  of  a good  man  returns  to  earth  after  death,  and 
inhabits  a jaguar  or  monkey ; while  that  of  a bad  man  is 
confined  within  a reptile  or  parakeet. 

Amongst  the  savages  of  Central  Peru  are  legends  to  the 
effect  that  at  the  time  of  the  Spanish  invasion,  an  Inca 
chieftain  led  an  immigration  of  the  people  of  Tahuantin  Suyo 
down  to  the  Montana,  where  they  settled.  The  Conibos  and 
their  neighbours  are  still  sun-worshippers,  and  employ  more 
skill  in  their  agriculture  than  other  tribes.  They  are  a fine 
race  of  Indians,  but  very  ferocious.  They  defend  cannibalism 
by  saying  that  by  this  practice  they  acquire  the  physical  and 
intellectual  force  of  the  persons  they  eat.  Old  people  amongst 
these  savages  are  glad  when  it  is  their  turn  to  provide  a feast 
for  the  family,  for  they  will  then  join  their  departed  friends, 


CANNIBALISM 


233 


they  say ; and  besides,  is  it  not  better  to  be  eaten  by  one’s 
relatives  than  by  worms  ? A neighbouring  tribe  burns  the 
bones  of  its  dead  and  sprinkles  the  dust  over  their  food. 

Prisoners  of  war  are  invariably  eaten.  While  being  fatted 
for  a feast  they  make  no  attempt  to  escape,  but  enjoy  their 
meals  until  the  last,  awaiting  the  appointed  day  with  quiet 
resignation.  At  the  moment  of  sacrifice  one  of  the  captors 
stands  over  the  victim  with  a stone  hatchet,  and  makes  a 
discourse  more  or  less  like  the  following : — 

“ Do  you  remember  my  brother  who  made  no  cry  when  he 
was  sacrificed  by  your  tribe  last  year  ? He  was  a valiant  man  ! 
Let  us  see  whether  you  know  bow  to  die!”  And  he  strikes 
the  mortal  blow. 

The  tribes  of  Central  Peru  all  seem  to  understand  the  Pana 
language,  and  are  very  much  alike  in  their  dress  and  customs. 
A celebrated  traveller  gives  it  as  his  opinion  that,  were  the 
right  methods  employed,  these  ferocious  savages  might  be 
civilized  as  well  as  any  others.  “ There  can  be  no  doubt,”  he 
says,  “ that  the  best  method  to  reduce  the  wild  man  is  to  give 
him  fish-hooks,  whet-stones,  needles,  hatchets,  and  knives ; 
when  he  has  worn  out  any  of  these  which  he  cannot  himself 
replace,  he  will  come  and  put  himself  in  relation  with  the 
white  man.  Then  if  there  be  some  good  and  patient  missionary 
ready  to  receive  them  as  friends,  who  will  beg  them  to  live  in 
villages,  and  change  their  wild  customs,  the  love  of  labour  will 
be  wakened  in  the  brown  man,  his  intelligence  will  be  exercised, 
and  his  ideas  elevated  towards  better  things. 

“ It  is  not,”  he  concludes,  “ with  the  rifle  that  the  savage 
will  be  civilized.  I myself  saw  a fish-hook  given  to  one  who 
brought  his  child  to  be  christened,  and  he  wished  to  go  through 
the  ceremony  every  day.” 

The  Aguarunas  of  Northern  Peru  appear  to  have  been  oidy 
slightly  affected  by  the  Incas.  To-day,  while  numbers  of  them 
are  in  contact  with  civilization  around  the  town  of  Chachapoyas, 
there  are  still  hundreds  who  roam  the  forests  with  elaborate 


234 


BLACK  GOLD 


feather  ornaments  as  their  only  clothing.  The  members  of 
this  tribe  are  well  built,  and  the  women  are  pretty.  Civiliza- 
tion is  more  highly  developed  amongst  them  than  in  other 
parts  of  the  Montana.  The  tribe  consists  of  an  aggregation 
of  families  with  a chief.  Other  families  which  live  near  con- 
stitute sub-tribes,  of  which  thei'e  are  three  or  four,  each  headed 
by  a chief,  but  liaving  no  cohesion  among  themselves.  One 
may  go  to  war  without  any  interference  on  the  part  of  the 
others ; seldom  will  a common  cause  lead  them  to  unite.  Had 
it  not  been  for  this  fatal  isolation  the  inroads  of  the  caucheros 
would  not  have  been  possible. 

The  Aguarunas,  like  the  savages  of  Ecuador,  have  a strange 
method  of  preparing  the  heads  of  their  enemies.  The  head  is 
left  on  a stick  for  three  days,  and  then,  when  the  brains  have 
been  removed,  it  is  treated  with  hot  stones,  and  a smoke  which 
has  the  qualities  of  alum,  until  the  head  is  contracted  to  half 
its  original  size.  The  Government  of  Ecuador  has  been  obliged 
to  forbid  the  sale  of  these  relics ; but  in  Peru  no  youth  among 
the  Aguarunas  may  be  admitted  to  the  caste  of  warriors,  with 
the  right  to  marry,  until  he  has  prepared  the  head  of  an 
enemy. 

This  is  a musical  tribe : not  only  do  the  women  sing  and 
play  on  flutes  of  reeds  or  bone,  but  they  use  a kind  of  violin 
with  three  strings. 

The  savages  of  Northern  Peru  send  messages  to  distant 
parts  of  the  Montana  by  means  of  a wooden  drum  made  from 
a tree  trunk,  and  beaten  with  a wooden  hammer,  according 
to  the  code  of  the  forest. 

Such  are  the  children  of  the  Montana — ignorant,  simple, 
and  brave.  But  they  are  steadily  sinking  lower,  learning  new 
vices,  becoming  still  more  degraded,  and  surely  dying  out.  And 
the  reason  for  this  degeneration  ? Alas,  it  is  not  the  baleful 
influence  of  paganism,  but  of  so-called  Christianity ! The 
following  words  were  written  by  a missionary  who  travelled 


“RUM,  ROMANISM,  RAPACITY” 


235 


on  the  Amazon  : — “ Rum,  Romanism,  rapacity,  and  moral  rotten- 
ness are  conditions  which  no  Indian  nation  can  long  survive. 
Unfortunately,  that  is  the  only  garb  in  whicli  w^estern  civiliza- 
tion has  ever  been  presented  to  these  children  of  the  forest.” 

Unseen,  unknown,  another  Congo  tragedy  has  been  enacted 
in  the  dark  Montana,  and  only  a decimated  savage  population, 
and  some  degraded  traders  remain  to  tell  the  tale.  “ Alcohol, 
the  bullet,  and  imported  smallpox  have  made  such  ravages  that 
the  complete  disappearance  of  these  indigines  is  a thing  of  a 
few  years.” 

But  what  of  the  influence  of  the  scattered  Roman  Catholic 
Missions  which  still  exist  in  their  midst  ? Mr.  Stark,  of  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  has  culled  the  following 
report  of  their  methods  from  the  writings  of  travellers : — 

‘“Not  unfrequently  tlie  curas  are  even  more  degraded  than 
the  caucheros.  There  may  be  honourable  exceptions,  but  they 
are  not  numerous.  In  some  cases  a padre  makes  an  occasional 
visit  to  a settlement,  when  religious  ceremonies  with  drinking 
and  dancing  are  kept  up  for  several  days.  Mass  is  celebrated 
after  a most  barbarous  fashion,  and  a disgraceful  traffic  is  made 
of  the  Sacraments.’ 

“ A distinguished  Peruvian  writing  on  the  character  of  the 
curates  of  these  regions,  says : ‘ The  curas  are  not  worthy  of 
the  high  authority  with  which  they  are  clothed.  Many  of  them 
are  unscrupulous  speculators,  no  better  than  the  most  degraded 
traders,  and  live  licentiously  to  an  incredible  extent.  ...  In  a 
word,  the  curas  of  the  Amazon,  instead  of  enlightening  the  people 
and  elevating  the  Indians,  and  being  examples  of  virtue  and 
charity,  . . . are  the  most  active  propagandists  of  vice  and 
immorality.  Twelve  years  of  commerce  (corrupt  as  it  is)  has 
done  more  to  prosper  this  region  than  tliree  long  centuries  of 
missions.’ 

“ What  has  been  done  for  the  Indians  by  the  Christian 
Church  ? With  one  heroic  exception,  no  Missionary  Society 
has  ever  attempted  to  evangelize  them.  For  ten  years  the 


BLACK  GOLD 


236 

South  Amei’icau  ]\Ii.ssionary  Society  maintained  a station  on 
the  Purus  with  encouragement.  A house  was  built,  a school 
opened,  and  evangelizing  commenced.  But  through  di.stance, 
difficulties,  aud  expense,  it  Avas  abandoned. 

“From  few  lands  come  a more  imperative  call  than  from 
this  Amazon  region.  Degraded  by  the  heartless  trader,  down- 
trodden by  the  curas,  neglected  by  the  Christian  Church, 
knowing  nothing  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  alone 
is  able  to  elevate  and  regenerate  them — such  is  the  condition 
of  the  savages  of  Peru ! ” 


PART  III 


PERU:  ITS  RELIGION 


L V > -y^  ‘ • 


Av: 


(A)  ROMANISM,  A POLITICAL  POWER 

Chapter  XXII. — How  Rome  Works — 

liovian  Catholicism,  a harmless  wild  flower  or  deadly 
vjeedi — The  radical  difference  hetween  Protestantism  and 
Popery — The  extraordinary  law  hy  tvhich  the  Papacy  rules 
Peru — A land  where  toleration  is  unlawful — “ Spiritual  kin- 
ship ” — JFhat  Rome  accomplishes  in  the  nursery. 


239 


CHAPTER  XXII 


HOW  ROME  WORKS 


“ My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  -world.” — Jesus  Christ. 


UCH  is  the  people  which  a unique  course  of  history  has 


produced  ! Different  as  her  Desert,  Sierra,  and  Montana  are 
the  races  of  Peru ! Widely  separated  in  their  ultimate  issues  as 
the  mouths  of  rivers  wliich  rise  together  in  the  Andes,  are  their 
religious  beliefs!  In  the  physical  world  the  eastern  Andean 
range  is  the  watershed  of  the  continent ; in  the  moral  world 
the  Divortia  Aquarum  is  Roman  Catholicism.  Streams  of 
belief  flow  from  it,  at  first  closely  allied,  but  later  diverging 
until  tliey  break  from  their  rocky  cradle  and  plunge  downward 
— the  one  to  dark  superstition,  and  the  other  into  far  distant 
agnosticism.  But  the  source  of  each  is  the  Divortia  Aquarum, 
— the  phenomenon  in  which  may  be  found  a reason  for  all 
the  strange  contrasts  of  Peruvian  life  and  thought — Roman 
Catholicism. 

The  Roman  Catholicism  of  Peru,  in  many  of  its  phases,  is 
totally  distinct  from  that  of  England  or  the  United  States  of 
America.  Therefore,  as  I speak  of  the  Andes  without  the 
slightest  fear  that  because  they  are  mountains  my  readers  will 
confuse  them  with  the  Grampians,  I shall  speak  of  the  system 
which  governs  Peru,  as  something  which  will  be  new  even  to 
those  who  know  something  of  Roman  Catholicism  at  home.  But 
as,  when  our  mountain  path  in  the  tropics  was  walled  by  giant 
plants,  their  stalks  growing  to  a height  of  twelve  feet  and  then 

trailing  blossoms  downwards  over  our  heads,  I recognized  in  the 
1 6 “-t' 


242 


HOW  ROME  WORKS 


strange  beauty  around  me  a mammoth  species  of  some  well- 
known  English  wild  flower — so  those  who  have  come  into  close 
contact  with  Romanism  in  any  part  of  the  world,  will  recognize 
its  growth  in  Peru,  only  wondering  at  the  stupendous  power 
and  magnitude  to  which  it  has  attained. 

We  have  already  caught  sight  of  this  phenomenon  through 
the  coloured  glasses  of  difterent  windows.  History  made  it  dark 
as  the  mines  whither  helpless  Indians  were  driven  to  their 
death,  or  lurid  as  the  Inquisition  fires  which  flamed  about  the 
bodies  of  innocent  men  and  women.  Lima  showed  it  brilliantly 
gilded  as  the  vestments  of  her  ecclesiastics  or  the  altars  of  her 
cathedi'al.  Cuzco  showed  it  besmeared  with  filth,  and  repulsive 
as  the  decaying  rubbish  of  her  churches  or  the  tattered  rags 
worn  by  her  little  children.  Through  the  windows  of  Indian 
and  Montana  life,  that  which  we  had  seen  so  often  before  was 
still  visible,  but  this  time  hardly  recognizable. 

Yes,  all  the  varied  forms  of  life  in  the  land  of  the  Incas  are 
the  outcome  of  the  working  of  this  system.  They  stand  befoi'e 
the  world  as  a startling  object-lesson.  The  seed  which  appears  so 
harmless  in  Protestant  countries — the  wild  flower  whose  propa- 
gation we  scarcely  trouble  to  restrict  in  our  gardens — when 
planted  in  Peru  and  allowed  to  mature  unchecked,  has  produced 
fruit  which  is  fatally  poisonous. 

The  difference  between  Protestantism  and  Popery  is  radical : 
one  is  a religious  organization,  and  the  otlier  a political 
power. 

Ur.  Wylie,  in  his  masterly  thesis  on  this  subject,  writes : 
“ As  a moral  and  spiritual  organization,  tlie  Church  of  Rome  is 
a sham ; as  a political  and  eartlily  confederation,  she  is  a 
compact,  energetic,  terrible  reality.  Her  political  aims  are 
masked  by  spiritual  pretences,  and  pushed  forward  by  spiritual 
agencies.” 

Yet  so  astute  is  Rome  in  dazzling  with  her  religious 
ceremonies  and  entlu'alling  with  her  spiritual  festheticism,  that 


THE  CATHEDRAL  OF  AREQUIPA. 


THE  CLAIMS  OF  ROME 


243 


often  those  who  wonder  at  her  power  fail  to  recognize  its  nature. 
When  Dr.  Wylie  saw  the  advance  of  Roman  Catholicism  in 
England,  he  warned  his  countrymen  that  to  allow  the  establish- 
ment of  Popery  was  to  tolerate,  not  merely  the  religion  of  Rome, 
but  the  authority  of  its  Head ; to  pennit  “ not  only  the  spread 
of  another  faith,  but  the  erection  of  another  government.”  “ A 
Papal  Bull  is  no  matter  of  religious  profession,”  he  wrote ; “ it 
is  a matter  of  civil  obedience.  The  question  it  raises  is  not 
whether  a church  shall  have  the  right  of  communicating  with 
its  members  on  matters  of  doctrine;  but  whether  a foreign 
prince  shall  be  at  liberty  to  send  his  edicts  into  our  country, 
enjoining  upon  the  consciences  of  his  adherents,  under  the 
highest  penalties,  matters  both  temporal  and  spiritual.” 

If  this  is  the  principle  upon  which  the  system  is 
founded,  what  must  be  the  land  where  its  working  is  un- 
hindered ? The  following  quotations  are  from  the  Encyclical 
issued  in  England  by  the  Pope’s  Nuncio,  less  than  sixty  years 
ago 

“ The  State  has  not  the  right  to  deny  the  Church  the  use  of 
force  or  the  possession  of  either  a direct  or  an  indirect  temporal 
power. 

“ The  Church  has  the  right  to  deprive  the  Civil  Government 
of  the  sole  control  of  public  schools. 

“ She  has  the  right  to  require  that  the  Catholic  religion 
shall  be  the  only  religion  of  the  State,  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
others. 

“ She  has  the  power  of  requiring  the  State  not  to  permit  free 
expression  of  opinion.” 

If  these  are  the  political  claims  of  Popery  upon  a free 
coantry — the  land  of  Wycliffe,  Ridley,  and  Latimer — what  will 
be  the  power  at  its  command  in  a land  where  for  four  hundred 
years  it  has  ruled  supreme  ? 

We  will  notice  the  way  Romanism  works  in  Peru  by 
describing : 1.  Canon  Law ; 2.  Papal  Persecution ; 3.  The 

“ Compadrazco  ” System;  4.  Feast  Days;  5.  Motherhood. 


244 


HOW  ROME  WORKS 


Canon  Law 

Like  any  other  political  power,  Popery  has  a law  by  which 
it  makes  its  commands  known,  and  an  organization  by  means 
of  which  it  enforces  obedience.  Canon  Law,  or  the  Civil  Code 
of  the  Papacy,  deals  first  with  doctrines.  This  section  corre- 
sponds to  the  Articles  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  appears 
most  reasonable  as  a realm  of  Church  governance.  Secondly, 
Canon  Law  deals  with  morals,  and  the  more  we  study  this 
section,  the  more  its  audacity  astounds  us.  For  in  “ morals  ” 
the  Pope  includes  all  actions  whatsoever.  Do  they  not  all 
affect  the  Church  for  bad  or  good  ? he  asks ; then  they  are  all 
within  the  rightful  realm  of  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction.  Hence 
it  comes  about  in  Peru  that  a man’s  right  to  marry,  to  trade, 
to  educate  his  children,  to  make  friends,  to  read,  to  speak,  and 
to  be  buried,  mu.st  be  regulated  by  tliis  legal  code.  Thirdly — 
and  here,  remembering  that  we  are  studying  the  organization  of 
a nominally  religious  system,  we  stand  aghast — Canon  Law  deals 
with  discipline.  Nor  does  it  exercise  merely  mild  spiritual 
control,  but  effective  temporal  jurisdiction.  Even  in  the 
thousand  convents  of  liberty-loving  England,  it  is  still  absolutely 
supreme ; and  in  countries  where  confiscation  and  burning  are 
no  longer  possible,  intimidation  continues  by  the  refusal  of 
absolution,  which,  in  the  imagination  of  the  Church’s  victim, 
means  eternal  burning  in  the  bottomless  pit.  Never  did  any 
other  penal  code  fulminate  such  a punishment ! 

To  what  extent  Canon  Law  is  operative  in  Peru,  the  follow- 
ing facts  will  indicate:  1.  The  sovereignty  of  the  Pope  is  a 
reality.  Whatever  the  Constitution  may  profess  or  the 
Liberals  boast,  the  fact  yet  remains  that  for  the  majority  of 
Peruvians  the  Pope  is  the  head  of  their  Chui’ch  and  of  their 
land.  Dr.  Wylie’s  words  are  absolutely  true  of  Peru : “ The 
relation  of  the  Pope  to  the  outer  world  is  that  of  its  absolute 
and  supreme  master ; his  relation  to  the  inner  or  spiritual 
world  that  of  its  sole  and  infallible  director.  Thus  he  stands 


PRESIDENT  OR  POPE? 


245 

with  one  foot  on  the  bodies  of  men  and  the  other  on  their 
souls.” 

The  experience  of  Bishop  Taylor,  who  visited  Peru  in  1878, 
illustrates  an  attitude  to  the  Pope  which  is  still  general.  The 
Pope’s  Nuncio  arrived  in  Callao  a few  days  after  the  Bishop 
had  commenced  work,  and  this  ambassador  of  the  distant 
potentate  immediately  promulgated  an  order,  which  was 
published  in  the  Spanish  papers,  that  the  Callao  Protestant 
Church  be  closed.  So  far  had  the  Pope’s  political  power  waned, 
however,  that  feeling  went  against  the  Nuncio  in  the  cosmo- 
politan capital.  The  diplomatic  corps  of  other  nations  refused 
to  recognize  him ; maintaining  that  since  the  Pope  had  lost  his 
temporal  power,  he  was  not  a sovereign,  nor  head  of  any  nation, 
and  therefore  had  no  right  of  representation  in  their  councils. 
Yet  the  Niincio  was  received  by  the  Peruvian  Government. 

It  is  true  tliat  many  of  the  students  of  Peru  have  now 
become  materialists  or  rationalists ; but  the  majority  of  re- 
publicans are  still  loyal  to  the  Church,  and  to  its  divine  head. 
That  his  authority  is  more  to  them  than  that  of  civil  rulers  has 
often  been  proved  to  the  missionaries.  The  Prefect  may  have 
forbidden  a demonstration  against  the  heretics,  but,  if  the 
Bishop  encourage  it,  only  rifles  and  bayonets  will  be  able  to 
enforce  the  civil  decree ; and  very  few  of  the  Liberals  are  strong- 
minded  enough  to  oppose  the  Church ! The  supreme  Govern- 
ment may  have  authorized  a Protestant’s  residence  in  Cuzco ; 
but  if  the  Church  so  will  it,  by  fraud  or  force  the  heretic  will 
be  expelled. 

It  is  not  the  President  or  the  ecclesiastics  or  people  of 
Peru  who  appoint  Bishops  and  Archbishops.  From  his  palace 
at  Rome  the  Pope  exercises  this  right ; and  so  disadvantageous 
to  national  life  has  his  prerogative  proved,  that  Ecuador,  on 
declaring  religious  liberty  in  1904,  decreed  that  only  natives  of 
the  republic  should  hold  ecclesiastical  posts. 

2.  Until  the  present  time,  legislation  in  Feme  has  been 
subservient  to  the  requirements  of  Canon  Law.  In  spite  of 


246 


HOW  ROME  WORKS 


Congress  and  Senators,  in  spite  of  boasted  democracy  and 
constitutional  development,  the  supreme  code  in  Peru  has  ever 
been  Canon  Law.  “ There  is  not  a law  in  the  statute-book 
which  has  a particle  of  force  with  a Catholic  conscience  unless 
it  is  countersigned  in  the  Vatican.” 

Although  the  constitution  of  Peru  is  modelled  upon  that 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  its  spirit  is  violated  and  its 
theoretical  freedom  invalidated  by  Article  4 : “ The  nation 
professes  the  Apostolic  Roman  Catholic  religion ; the  State 
protects  it,  and  does  not  permit  the  public  worship  of  an}' 
other.”  Surely  Liberty  trembled  at  the  blind  fanaticism  which 
thus  made  toleration  unlawful ! As  the  present  Secretary  of 
State  lately  acknowledged,  other  constitutional  decrees  have 
been  set  at  naught  by  the  interpretation  put  upon  this  Article. 
Theft  and  violence  have  been  justified  in  prosecution  of  those 
who  dared  to  worship  outside  the  sanctuaries  of  Romanism,  and 
to  .study  the  Book  anathematized  by  representatives  of  the 
Pope.  Injury  and  assault  have  been  allowed,  imprisonment 
inflicted,  and  murder  committed. 

Thus,  although  comparatively  few  politicians  have  been 
conscious  of  the  bondage  under  which  perforce  they  laboured. 
Canon  Law  has  controlled  the  land. 

3.  Those  who  do  not  die  in  communion  with  the  Church  of 
Rome  are  not  allowed  Chnstian  burial.  Many  times  have 
Protestant  missionaries  come  in  contact  with  the  force  of  this 
decree.  One  of  them  was  obliged  to  make  desperate  legal 
resistance  in  order  to  secure  a plot  of  ground  wherein  to  bury 
his  baby  daughter.  Quite  lately  the  same  point  was  tested 
in  Cuzco,  where,  for  a time,  it  seemed  impossible  to  bury  a 
native  convert,  because  she  was  refused  a place  in  the  Catholic 
cemetery,  and  the  cost  of  a grave  in  unconsecrated  ground 
was  prohibitory.  Only  through  the  remarkable  liberalism  of 
one  of  the  authorities,  who  dared  to  defy  the  power  of  the 
Church,  was  the  difficulty  ovei’come. 

Thus,  through  Canon  Law,  Popery  eftcctively  controls  the 


“PERSECUTED,  BUT  NOT  FORSAKEN”  247 


main  channels  of  national  life.  In  spite  of  the  rapid  advance 
made  by  infidelity,  Roman  Catholicism  is  still  dominant  in 
army,  navy,  law,  politics,  and  education.  It  is  still  fashionable 
“ for  the  noblest  of  the  land  to  act  as  train-bearers  of  priests, 
and  for  their  wives  to  do  duty  as  carriers  of  lighted  candles.” 

Persecution. 

Not  only  by  law,  but  also  by  persecution  does  this  great 
political  power  sway  Peru.  The  same  perfidy  and  cruelty 
which  accomplished  the  burning  of  Huss  and  the  massacre  of 
St.  Bartholomew  have  been  employed  against  the  missionaries 
in  the  land  of  the  Incas.  This  story  of  Protestant  missions, 
which  we  hope  will  be  written  before  long,  records  the  means 
by  which  Christ’s  witnesses  have  been  opposed  — slander, 
stoning,  beating,  shooting,  imprisoning,  exile,  and  murder ! 

The  “ Compadr.\zco  ” System. 

A third  means  which  Rome  uses  to  exert  her  power  is 
this  novel  and  extraordinary  system.  It  is  an  ordinance  of 
baptism  whereby  parentela  espiritual,  or  “ spiritual  kinship,” 
is  established  between  one  godparent  and  another,  also  between 
the  children  and  their  godparents,  and  between  the  mother 
and  father  and  their  children’s  godparents.  A maze  of 
relationships  is  thus  established,  different  from  that  occasioned 
by  marriage  or  blood,  yet  even  more  intimate  and  binding ; so 
much  so  that  a dispensation  from  the  Prelate  is  necessaiy  if 
any  of  these  “ spiritual  relations  ” wish  to  marry.  The  extra- 
ordinary complications  involved  can  hardly  be  understood  by 
one  who  has  not  actually  come  in  contact  with  the  system. 

The  idea  of  parentela  espiritual  is  exploited  by  the  priest- 
hood. In  her  school-work  in  Lima,  Miss  Elsie  Wood,  of  the 
American  Methodist  Episcopal  Mission,  finds  it  one  of  the 
most  direct  avenues  by  which  children  are  dragged  from  her 


248 


HOW  ROME  WORKS 


influence.  Imagine,  for  example,  the  typical  case  of  Senora  A., 
who  entered  into  intimate  relations  with  several  conmadres, 
or  those  who,  with  her,  had  become  godmothers  to  a certain 
child.  So  far  into  home  life  did  the  rights  of  the  spiritual 
relationship  thus  established  extend,  that  Senora  A.  was 
obliged  to  remove  her  daughter  from  Miss  Wood’s  school 
because  fanatical  conmadres  made  her  own  life  intolerable. 
After  a year,  however,  the  Liberal  parents  of  the  girl  were  so 
discontented  with  other  schools,  that  the  father  contrived  to 
quarrel  with  one  of  the  conmadres,  and  put  the  child  back 
under  Miss  Wood’s  teaching.  The  mother  pretended  she  did 
not  like  it,  and  explained  to  ofllcious  spiritual  relations  that 
it  was  her  husband’s  wish. 

The  wide  scope  of  this  system  is  astonishing.  It  works  in 
Congress,  and  at  the  same  time  is  a difficulty  to  every  humble 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Lima.  It  controls 
initiatory  ceremonies  of  all  kinds ; thus  sponsors  are  necessary 
for  a new  altar,  a new  image,  a bell,  a corner-stone,  a marriage, 
a church,  a barn,  or  a factory. 

Even  Liberals  bow  to  the  ruling  custom.  Augusto  Dui’and, 
when  leading  revolutionary  troops,  showed  his  utter  disregard 
for  ecclesiastical  authority  by  pronouncing  the  Indians  free 
from  Church  tributes,  in  revenge  upon  a cei'tain  Bi.shop  for 
his  refusal  to  pay  a forced  loan.  The  revolution  succeeded. 
Durand  became  the  Liberal  hero,  and  was  made  President  of 
the  House  of  Congi-ess.  Yet  when  he  was  married  he  sub- 
mitted to  all  the  humiliating  requirements  of  the  priesthood, 
and  subsequently  became  sponsor  in  a religious  function  at  a 
convent. 

This  system  connects  higher  with  lower  in  the  social  scale. 
By  means  of  influential  godparents  the  priest  controls  many 
families.  Sponsors  must  bring  their  godchildren  to  confirma- 
tion, and  are  always,  to  a certain  extent,  responsible  for  them. 
Orphaned  godchildren  are  wholly  theirs,  according  to  rights  not 
recognized  by  civil  government,  but  establi.shed  by  social  usage. 


THE  CHESS  BOARD  OF  SOCIETY 


249 


The  Church  has  evolved  this  extraordinary  system,  and  her 
ministers  utilize  it  for  their  own  ends.  Exercising  control  as 
if  Peruvian  society  were  a complicated  game  of  chess,  these 
priests  have  so  played  that  every  piece  is  in  their  j^ower. 

Feast  Days. 

By  a system  of  feast  days  the  Church  controls  the  pleasures 
of  her  children  in  the  Faith.  In  the  time  of  the  earliest 
Dominican  Fathers,  the  accustomed  holidays  of  the  Indians 
were  changed  into  Christian  functions — pagan  beliefs  and 
customs  being  adapted  to  the  religion  of  the  conquerors. 
Thus  the  Church  obtained  possession  of  the  Indian’s  love  of 
diversion  and  display,  and  made  that  a part  of  his  new 
religion.  In  Peru  to-day,  religious  festivals  correspond  to 
English  bank-holidays  infinitely  multiplied.  The  Liberals 
oppose  these  almost  daily  fiestas,  which  ruin  trade  and  tend  to 
dissipate  all  serious  purpose ; but  the  priests,  who  find  them 
lucrative,  persuade  the  people  not  to  relinquish  their 
“ religion.” 

Motherhood. 

The  vital  centre  from  which  Rome  regulates  national  life 
is  motherhood.  A Peruvian  author  has  well  said : “ The 
motive-power,  the  great  2^1'opelling  force  of  society,  does  not 
operate  tumultuotisly  in  the  g)laza  or  in  the  revolutionary  club  ; 
it  works  silently  in  the  home.  Beliefs  founded  in  maternal  love 
are  lodged  in  a part  of  the  heart  which  instruction  to  the 
contrary  will  never  reach.  If  we  bear  the  name  of  our  father, 
we  represent  the  moral  workmanship  of  our  mother.”  ^ 

This  universal  principle  is  systematically  exploited  by  the 
Roman  Church.  “ If  some  Peruanos  breathe  the  healthy  air 
of  the  twentieth  century,  almost  all  the  women  are  asphyxiated 
in  the  atmosphere  of  the  Middle  Ages.”  The  Church  makes 
^ Gonzales  Prada,  The  Slaves  of  the  Church.  (Translated.) 


250 


HOW  ROME  WORKS 


full  use  of  her  asceudancy  over  the  womanhood  of  the  land, 
for  young  men  will  relinquish  agnosticism  and  heresy  for  the 
sake  of  love ; husbands  will  prefer  silent  hypocrisy  to  continual 
domestic  strife ; and  children  will  be  educated  in  the  faith 
held  by  their  mother. 

The  power  exerted  by  these  various  means  is  incalculable. 
It  entlirals  not  only  persons,  but,  as  the  following  chapter 
will  show,  families  and  cities.  It  is  “the  mo.st  formidable 
combination  ever  brought  against  the  authority  and  security 
orf  civil  government,  as  well  as  against  the  libert}',  reason, 
and  happiness  of  mankind.”  ^ 

An  Italian  periodical  lately  contained  this  sentence  : I 'popoli 
di  religione  papcde  o sono  gid  morti,  o vanno  'morendi 
(Peoples  subjected  to  the  Pope  are  either  already  dead  or  are 
dying).  A well-known  Peruvian  writer  quoted  the  saying,  and 
added : “ Until  now  the  Pope  has  bound  Peru ; if  the  republic 
wishes  to  live,  she  must  break  free.  0 Latin  nations,  root  out 
Catholicism  from  your  soil,  or  it  will  devour  you  to  your  last 
fibre ! ” 

^ George  Adam  Smith. 


Chapter  XXIII. — The  Too-Religious  City — 

A mother  s ambition — A town  where  religion  is  woman's 
only  interest — Where  the  Bible  is  classed  with  immoral  litera- 
ture, and  ladies  delight  in  2>^'>'secuti'ng  heretics — “ Mary  the 
Sad  ” — Religious  rockets. 


251 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


THE  TOO-RELIGIOUS  CITY 

“ Roman  Catholicism  is  a veritable  chameleon.  To  him  who  would 
scourge  himself  into  godliness  it  offers  a whip ; for  him  who  would 
starve  himself  into  spirituality  it  provides  the  mendicant  convents  of 
St.  Francis ; for  the  anchorite  it  prepares  the  death-like  silence  of  La 
Trappe ; to  the  passionate  young  woman  it  presents  the  rajrtures  of 
St.  Teresa,  and  the  marriage  of  St.  Catherine  with  her  Saviour;  for  the 
restless  pilgrim  whose  piety  needs  greater  variety  than  the  cell  of  the  monk, 
it  offers  shrines,  tombs,  relics,  and  other  holy  places.” — Channixg. 

WHAT  is  this  strangely  self-conti-adictory  religion,  which  at 
first  sight  seems  to  be  developing  only  the  aesthetic 
tastes  and  pleasure-loving  nature  of  Epicureans ; which  on 
further  knowledge  appears  so  penetrating  that  no  point  of 
domestic  or  political  life  is  left  untouched  by  it ; which  to 
those  to  whom  it  reveals  its  true  nature,  shows  a fanaticism 
and  lack  of  toleration,  as  blind,  as  cruel,  as  ignorant,  and  as 
unchristian,  as  were  seen  in  the  Romanism  of  the  Middle  Ages  ? 

Here  we  find  love  of  ceremony  and  display  which  results 
in  feasts  and  processions,  decorations  and  badges,  images,  altar- 
hangings,  and  flaring  candles;  obedience  which  causes  the 
devout  to  shun  Protestants  in  the  streets,  as  if  they  were 
plague-sti’icken ; superstition  and  ignorance  which  class  the 
Bible  with  immoral  literature,  and  Protestants  with  Free- 
masons, which  exalts  the  Virgin  Mary  to  divinity  before  the 
ignorant,  and  drives  the  educated  to  find  their  God  in  matter, 
which  denies  any  but  the  most  miserably  inadequate  education 
to  its  sons  and  daughters,  and  absurdly  defames  the  well- 

equipped  schools  managed  by  Protestants. 

253 


254 


THE  TOO-RELIGIOUS  CITY 


As  we  study  this  strange  system  in  “ The  City  of  the  Sacred 
Hearts  of  Jesus  and  Mary,”  we  become  convinced  that  its 
spiritual  nature  is  very  shallow.  Although  it  has  gained  the 
allegiance  of  the  people  by  religious  means,  its  aim  is  the 
acquisition  of  temporal  power. 

Arequipa  is  often  called  the  Twentieth  Century’s  Most 
Religious  City ; yet  wei'e  you  to  seek  devotion  in  its  usual 
manifestations,  you  would  surely  deny  the  statement.  Is  it  a 
city  of  philanthropic  spirit  and  public  charities,  of  model 
home  life  and  family  prayer  ? 

Saturday  is  known  as  “ Beggars’  Day  ” ; then  the  most 
mi.serable  of  the  poor  leave  the  haunts  and  dens  where  they 
have  existed  for  a week  on  last  Saturday’s  alms,  and  go  round 
the  city  begging.  The  virtue  of  charity  which  costs  little  or 
nothing  is  not  to  be  despised,  and  so  no  Arequipena  refuses  the 
suppliants  food.  At  eleven  o’clock  any  morning  beggars  may 
be  seen  outside  the  Franciscan  Convent  receiving  their  doles ; 
but  apart  from  this  institution,  and  one  fanatical  society  for 
helping  poor  Catholics,  nothing  is  done  for  them.  The  incapable 
and  old  are  left  to  die ; the  poor  and  ignorant  have  no  helper ; 
there  is  no  medical  mission,  no  provision  for  the  poor  of  the 
various  congregations,  not  so  much  as  a Christmas  Fund ! 
Apart  from  the  few  exceptions  mentioned,  charity  does  not 
exist. 

What  of  the  moral  life  of  Arequipa  ? Alas,  religion  has 
not  educated  public  opinion  even  to  blush  at  immorality ! The 
mother  of  a very  superior  family,  who  had  enjoyed  all  the 
advantages  of  education  and  foreign  influence,  said  to  one  of 
our  lady  missionaries : “ I do  not  mind  if  my  husband  finds 
other  women  on  the  street  whom  he  desires;  all  that  I care 
about  is  that  he  should  love  me  best.”  Such  an  attitude 
towards  immorality  is  not  merely  common,  but  characteristic. 
Arequipenos  speak  without  a blush  of  any  contrast  between 
children  and  illegitimate  children ; very  little  shame  is  attached 
to  a custom  which  is  (questioned  by  .so  few. 


A PERUVIAN  HOSPITAL. 

Tliis  is  a corner  of  the  only  hospital  among  the  50,000  inhabitants  of  Arequipa.  Notice 
that  the  sick  man  has  been  put  into  bed  with  all  his  dirty  clothes  on.  On  his  right  is  a 
cnicifi.x  ; above  him,  a medal  ; on  the  left,  a shrine. 


“IT  PROFITETH  NOTHING” 


255 


Yet  the  parents  love  their  children,  and  bring  them  up  in 
the  fear  of  the  Church.  Family  worship,  as  we  understand 
it,  is  unknown ; hut  a few  examples  of  evening  prayers  in  the 
home  have  come  under  our  notice.  Below  the  flat  where  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jarrett  ^ lived  are  the  rooms  occupied  by  an  Arequipeuo 
clerk  and  his  numerous  children.  As  we  passed  downstairs  in 
the  evening  we  often  caught  sight  of  them,  kneeling  round  the 
room,  and  heard  the  prayers  which  were  being  gabbled  aloud. 
In  a professor’s  household  we  came  across  the  same  practice, 
but  do  not  find  it  to  be  general. 

In  some  of  the  women  loyalty  to  the  outward  forms  of 
religion  would  seem  to  be  the  expression  of  true,  though 
mi.sguided,  devotion.  There  are  many  in  Arequipa  like  the 
lady  in  Marabamba  whose  pathetic  words,  as  related  by  Miss 
Finn,  always  linger  in  my  mind.  Her  baby  daughter  was  only 
three  days  old,  and  the  sounds  of  religious  crackers,  of  feasting 
and  entertainment,  all  in  honour  of  her  christening,  ascended 
to  the  room  where  in  weakness  and  great  suflerin<r  the  mother 
lay.  When  at  length  pealing  bells  announced  the  ceremony 
to  be  concluded,  with  a sigh,  half  smiles,  half  tears,  she 
whispered : “ And  now  at  last  my  little  daughter  is  a 

Christian  ! ” 

In  the  empty  lives  of  most  of  the  women  religion  is  the 
only  outside  intere.st.  They  have  no  sports,  no  clubs,  no 
charitable  work,  and  little  occupation  in  the  home ; but 
instead  of  these  things — religion.  Early  morning  Mass,  with 
the  freshest  scandal ; afternoon  meetings,  with  the  day’s  gossip  ; 
Sunday’s  procession,  with  the  display  of  neAV  clothes ; confession 
and  intercourse  with  the  family  confessor ; — such  are  the  chief 
interests  of  their  lives.  Tlte  most  religious  women  are  often 
knoum  to  he  the  ivorst ; the  beatas,  or  devotees,  are  generally 
scandal-mongers.  They  shoiv  hearty  loarticipation  in  religious 
ceremonies  and  great  veneration  for  the  Church,  but  few  of  the 
fruits  of  Christianity  in  their  lives. 

1 Missionaries  of  the  R.B.M.U.  in  Peru. 


256 


THE  TOO-RELIGIOUS  CITY 


Among  the  young  men  of  Arequipa  there  is  more  i*eligion 
than  in  the  University  circles  of  Lima  or  Cuzco.  A casual 
ac(|uaiutance  will  feel  hound,  for  politeness’  sake,  to  agree  with 
what  he  considers  the  missionary’s  views.  He  will,  therefore, 
speak  against  Roman  Catholicism.  On  closer  acquaintance, 
however,  he  will  show  his  deepest  feelings  in  defending  and 
excusing  the  Church.  In  almost  every  case  this  is  “ a form 
of  godliness,  denying  the  power  thereof.”  Religion  is  a creed, 
not  a life ; it  does  not  g>roduce  honour,  self-denial,  or  morality. 

The  attitude  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Peru  to 
Evangelical  Christianity  is  manifested  in  the  fanaticism  of 
Arequipa.  Protestantism  and  the  Protestant  Bible  are  con- 
demned by  the  Church ; therefore  the  faithful  city  will  not 
tolerate  them.  Because  tlie  priest  says  the  Bible  is  bad, 
Bible-selling  on  its  streets  is  considered  an  insult  against  public 
opinion.  When  Mr.  Wenberg,  an  agent  of  the  American  Bible 
Society,  was  selling  in  Arequipa,  he  was  asked  for  a Gospel 
every  morning  by  tlie  same  young  woman.  When  he  found 
that  she  only  wished  the  pleasure  of  tearing  up  the  books  to 
throw  in  his  face,  he  refused  to  sell  to  hex’.  Then  she  sent  a 
servant  girl,  who  treated  the  Book  in  the  same  way.  The 
blind  and  bitter  fanaticism  of  this  act  typifies  tlie  city’s 
spirit  only  too  truly.  Holguin,  the  Bishop  of  Arequipa,  in 
his  sermons  of  Easter  week,  1907,  mentioned  the  following 
works  as  amongst  the  literature  which  should  be  pro- 
hibited : Zola,  Rousseau,  Voltxxii’e,  and  the  Protestant  Bible. 
His  charges  against  the  Gospels  were:  firstly,  that  they  con- 
tained blasphemies  against  the  Virgin;  secondly,  that  their 
doctrines  would  overturn  the  foundations  of  the  Church ; 
thirdly,  that  the}^  wei’e  adultei’ated.  Although  Mr.  Jai’rett 
advertised  in  the  daily  paper  an  ofter  of  reward  for  any  proof 
of  either  the  first  or  third  point,  and  promised  the  Bishop  to 
stop  the  issue  of  the  Go.spels  in  que.stion  if  he  could  substantiate 
his  statements,  he  never  received  any  reply. 


“THAT  RELIGION  IS  VAIN” 


257 


Daily  the  workers  in  Arequipa  meet  the  same  intolerance. 
Newspapers  dare  not  publish  anything  of  which  the  Bishop 
would  not  approve.  Such  papers  as  the  anti-Catholic  El  Callao 
of  Callao,  or  La  Ley  of  Chili,  do  not  exi.st  in  Arequipa. 
Liberalism  was  unknown  to  her  until  a few  years  ago,  and 
only  lately  El  Deber,  the  Catholic  organ  of  the  city,  maintained 
that  “ no  Liberal  party  exists  in  Peru.”  When  Sehor  Eduardo 
Forga,  the  distinguished  Peruvian  Liberal,  together  with  Mr. 
Watkins,  his  missionary  friend  from  Mexico,  helped  in  the 
circulation  of  anti-Romanist  literature,  in  connection  with 
Urquieta,  the  great  Liberal  of  Arequipa,  their  newspaper-boys 
were  attacked  in  the  streets,  bonfires  were  made  of  the  hated 
works,  and  shots  were  fired  into  their  house.  Later,  when  it 
became  known  that  Mr.  Watkins  was  leaving  Peru,  and  that 
two  nurses  would  shortly  be  on  their  way  to  strengthen  the 
work,  El  Progreso  gave  the  public  to  understand  that  Mr. 
Watkins  was  intending  to  fetch  out  prostitutes  from  London 
for  the  Protestants. 

Every  grade  of  society,  every  sphere  of  life,  seems  to  be 
touched  by  this  fanaticism.  The  intelligent  Arequipeha  lady 
who  lives,  with  her  English  husband,  opposite  our  meeting- 
room,  glories  in  throwing  stones  at  the  heretics ; the  street 
boys  following  some  huge  image  through  the  streets,  revel  in 
raising  a mob  round  the  missionary  who  has  not  raised  liis  hat, 
Mr.  Ritchie  rented  a room  for  some  time  from  a superior 
Peruvian  family,  the  father  of  which  was  an  English  civil 
engineer.  When  the  lady  of  the  house  discovered  that  Mr. 
Ritchie  was  a Protestant,  she  insisted  that  he  should  be  turned 
out,  and  her  husband  reluctantly  acquiesced.  She  acknowledged 
frankly  her  reason  to  be  that  “ he  was  a Protestant,  and  working 
contrary  to  the  ideas  and  religion  of  her  country.”  The  rooms 
were  long  vacant,  but  the  faithful  Catholic  had  honoured  the 
Church,  and  that  was  enough. 

On  the  occasion  of  a procession  of  two  images  through  the 
streets  of  Arequipa,  one  old  woman  was  moved  to  the  most 

17 


258 


THE  TOO-RELIGIOUS  CITY 


violent  abuse  because  Mr.  Ritchie  watched  the  ceremony 
without  removing  his  hat.  He  was  “a  Freemason,  a Pagan, 
an  Atheist  ” — and  she,  a devout  Christian.  Poor  old  soul ! 
Doubtless  she  had  never  heai’d  of  the  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ, 
but  from  ensample  and  oratory  had  gathered  that  the  measure 
of  one’s  Christianity  is  one’s  fanaticism. 

In  Arequipa,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  Romanism  has 
adapted  herself  to  her  surroundings.  Here  she  does  not  to-day 
ornament  the  Cross  with  the  symbols  of  sun-worship,  as  she 
did  in  the  Inca  centres ; she  wreathes  the  Cross  with  roses, 
Christianity  is  a thing  of  beauty  and  pleasure ; religious 
fervour  is  fashionable ; orthodoxy  is  easy. 

The  religion  of  Pe-m  has  no  vital  force  to  affect  and  change 
people.  It  leaves  cities  as  it  found  them  three  hundred  years 
ago.  They  have  indeed  given  colour  to  the  religion.  The 
Roman  Catholicism  of  Cuzco  is  a reflection  of  the  mind  of  the 
Indian — crude,  heathen,  wild ; while  in  Arequipa  it  is  well- 
dressed,  pretty,  socially  respectable. 

Imagine  yourself  standing  on  the  balcony  of  our  little  flat 
in  Arequipa,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jarrett.  It  is  the  Monday  of 
Holy  Week,  and  a great  procession  in  honour  of  “ Maria 
Dolorosa  ” (Mary  the  Sad)  has  just  left  the  cathedral.  All  the 
^lite  of  Arequipa  have  joined  the  two  lines  of  double  file  which 
stretch  for  four  blocks  along  the  road.  Men  are  on  one  side  of 
the  street ; women  on  the  other ; and  in  the  centre  are  the 
images,  their  struggling  bearers,  and  the  priests.  Here  is  a 
huge  representation  of  Christ  on  the  cross ; here  is  St.  Joseph ; 
and  here  is  the  statue  of  “ Maria  Dolorosa  ” herself.  She  is 
clothed  in  black  and  crape ; her  face  is  full  of  unutterable 
suflering,  and  three  silver  arrows  pierce  her  heart.  The 
immense  procession  passes,  to  return  in  three  and  a half  hours, 
after  having  visited  all  the  chief  churches  of  Arequipa. 

It  is  8.30  in  the  evening,  and  the  trampling  of  the  great, 
silent  crowd  sounds  weirdly  through  the  stillness.  Far  away 


RELIGIOUS  ROCKETS 


259 


into  the  distance  stretch  the  converging  lines  of  twinkling 
candles,  and  as  the  procession  passes,  incense  rises,  white  and 
misty,  and  the  priests’  chanting  floats  away  into  the  silence 
of  this  wondex'ful  star-lit  night.  From  balconies  and  i-oofs, 
baskets  and  ladles  full  of  flowers  are  overturned  to  fall  upon 
the  images  below,  and  the  scents  of  incense  and  autumn 
blossoms  mingle  as  the  silent  followers  of  “ Mary  the  Sad  ” pass 
on  into  the  darkness. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem ' to  English  readers,  the  most 
common  manifestation  of  religious  enthusiasm  in  Arequipa  is 
the  display  of  fireworks.  Imagine  yourself  in  this  city  of 
religious  rockets,  on  the  night  of  October  5th,  when  San 
Francisco  escorts  Santo  Domingo  to  the  plaza,  and  kisses  him 
under  a gaudy  canopy,  shining  with  blue  and  pink  and  gold. 
It  is  night,  but  the  streets  are  thronged : young  ladies  in  their 
best  attire  line  the  sidewalks ; black-eyed  senoritas  peer 
through  window-bars  ; cholas  with  tables  of  alcohol  and  sweet 
drinks  crowd  the  street;  men  and  boys  and  little  children 
throng  the  doorways  and  crowd  around  the  four  wooden 
erections  which  block  the  street  at  diflerent  corners.  There  is 
all  the  excitement  of  anticipation  which  would  be  felt  in  the 
pit  of  a London  east-end  music-hall  before  the  rising  of  the 
curtain,  although  every  soul  here  must  have  stirred  in  his 
nurse’s  arms  at  the  sound  of  identical  fireworks.  Suddenly 
the  sky  is  streaked  with  bombs,  and  the  usual  religious 
cannonade  of  Arequipa  commences.  The  air  is  rent  with 
explosions,  and  only  after  this  bombardment  of  the  saints  has 
continued  for  some  minutes  does  the  street  suddenly  glow  with 
light  and  the  display  of  fireworks  commence. 

A design  in  beautiful  colours  stands  out  against  the  velvet 
blackness ; softly  the  coloui’s  are  changing,  fading  from  blue 
to  green  and  from  pink  to  yellow.  Then  the  lights  begin  to 
fall,  gradually  destroying  the  design.  Great  rosy  globes  shoot 
out  from  among  them  ; rockets  dart  off  into  the  sky,  showering 
brilliant  globules  over  the  street ; electric  fountains  pour  down 


26o 


THE  TOO-RELIGIOUS  CITY 


theii’  gold ; single  explosions  grow  more  and  more  frequent, 
until  the  noise  is  tremendous.  Roar  breaks  upon  roar — 
deafening  and  crashing ; the  castillo  is  in  a blaze ; bombs  and 
rockets  explode  in  all  directions,  until  houses  and  streets  are 
trembling  beneath  us  with  the  force  of  the  gunpowder.  The 
holy  war  is  at  last  over,  and  only  the  broken  windows,  the  torn- 
up  pavements,  and  the  blackened  fragments  round  the  firework- 
stand  remain  of  the  religious  ceremony.  And  what  of  the 
empty  souls  who  have  participated  in  this  great  fiesta 
(feast)  ? What  of  the  multitudes  who  turn  their  faces  home- 
ward at  the  close  of  this  carnival  of  fire  and  smoke  ? Have 
they  found  peace  ? 

Could  they  but  have  raised  their  eyes  and  hearts  above  the 
smoke  that  they  have  kindled,  to  the  infinite  night  beyond  with 
its  myriad  stars  pitying  their  feeble  display — might  it  not  have 
spoken  to  their  hearts  of  that  peace  for  which  they  sought,  and 
of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  who  “ delighteth  not  in  burnt-offerings  ” 
but  “ is  ni£fh  unto  them  that  are  of  a broken  heart  ” ? 

They  have  offered  their  sacrifice  of  smoke  and  din  to  the 
honour  of  their  “ Saint,”  and  they  go  to  their  homes  with  hearts 
as  empty  as  the  burned-out  fireworks  and  bombs  that  strew 
their  way ; with  souls  as  sin-blackened  as  the  charred  fragments 
that  litter  the  streets. 

And  quiet,  like  an  undeserved  kiss,  falls  upon  the  scene ; 
and  the  violet  velvet  tropic  night  enwraps  the  foolish  city,  like 
the  mother- wings  of  the  yearning  Saviour,  who  with  tears  of 
lonfrinw  still  cries — 

“ O Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  how  often  would  I have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a hen  gathereth  her  chickens 
under  her  wings,  and  }’e  would  not ! ” 


(B)  ROMANISM,  A SPIRITUAL  FAMINE 

Chapter  XXIV. — Public  and  Private  Worship — 

The  penalty  for  loving  the  Bible  in  Fern — What  Peruvian 
sermons  are  about — Ho^o  I knelt  through  a Sunday  morning 
service  during  u'hich  religious  street-boys  sent  off  squibs  in 
church — How  babies  are  christened  in  Cuzco — Bum  and  religion 
— Costumbre. 


261 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  WORSHIP 

“ The  propaganda  of  Rome  is  one  vast  appeal  to  the  senses.  Apart  from 
our  instrumentality,  the  only  channel  for  God’s  mercy  in  Peru  is  the  Church 
of  Rome ; and  how  can  Divine  love  reach  human  hearts  through  a channel 
absolutely  blocked  with  sacerdotalism,  superstition,  and  ignorance  ? ” 

W.  Newell. 

T HAVE  tried  to  show  that  the  Roman  Catholicism  of  Peru  is 
-L  a political  power,  touching  national  and  social  life  at  every 
point.  I now  wish  to  prove  how  superficial  are  the  spiritual 
pretensions  with  which  she  masks  her  political  aims ; so  much 
so,  indeed,  that  in  a land  where  she  reigns  supreme  there  is 
spiritual  famine. 

What  then  does  Rome  provide  for  her  children  through 
Bible-teaching,  preaching,  or  worship  ? 

Bible-Reading. 

As  is  shown  by  the  history  of  the  Bible  Societies,^  Rome  has 
denied  the  Bible  to  Peru.  When  others  would  have  introduced 
it,  she  used  all  her  forces  to  prevent  them.  At  her  instigation 
they  were  mobbed,  stoned,  shot  at,  libelled,  impri.soned,  and 
even  murdered ; the  Word  of  God  was  maligned,  torn  to  pieces, 
and  burned.  Whatever  defence  Rome  may  make,  whatever 
excuse  concerning  an  “adulterated  Protestant  Bible,”  the  fact 

* This  deeply  interesting  history  will  form  part  of  the  missionary  book 
which,  as  intimated  in  Chapter  XXII.,  will,  we  hope,  be  published  before 
long. 


263 


264  PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  WORSHIP 


remains  that  she  has  given  the  land  of  the  Incas  no  Bible,  and 
no  part  of  the  Bible. 

Nor  does  this  surprise  us,  for  the  same  policy  has  been 
pursued  in  other  Roman  Catholic  lands  for  many  centuries.  At 
a conference  held  lately  in  the  Church  of  S.  Maria  in  Rome, 
Padre  Genecchi  of  the  Jei’ome  Society  made  the  following 
honest  and  powerful  statement  with  regard  to  Rome’s  policy  of 
discouraging^  Bible-reading : — 

" The  reading  of  the  writings  of  the  apostles  had  almost  ceased 
in  Italy ; we  were  accused  of  defrauding  the  Catholic  people 
of  the  vital  food  contained  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  most 
particularly  in  the  Gospels.  Those  who  have  travelled  abroad 
know  what  a bad  impression  has  been  produced  by  the  belief 
that  our  Church  prohibits  the  reading  of  Holy  Scriptures.  We 
know  well  what  answer  we  gave.  We  said  that  our  Church 
does  not  prohibit  absolutely  the  Scriptures  in  the  vulgar  tongue, 
but  only  heretical  translations  without  notes.  This  answer  is 
false,  and  the  Church  does  not  need  lies  to  defend  itself.  Here 
is  the  plain  simple  truth : for  three  centuries  Catholics  were 
denied  the  Bible.  Pope  Pius  IV.  prohibited  every  translation  of 
the  Scriptures  in  the  mother-tongue,  and  his  decree  was  con- 
firmed by  other  popes,  till  Benedict  XIV.,  in  the  year  1757, 
permitted  all  to  read  the  Bible  under  two  conditions : that  it 
should  be  accompanied  by  notes  and  should  have  receiv^ed 
ecclesiastical  approbation.  Since  then,  when  accused  by 
Protestants  of  negligence  and  even  aversion  towards  the 
sacred  Scriptures,  we  affirmed  that  Catholics  did  read  the 
Bible.  But  even  this  answer  was  false,  because  as  a general 
rule  not  one  in  a thousand,  or  even  one  in  ten  thousand,  reads 
the  Woi’d  of  God  in  our  Italy,  and  the  Protestants  were  more 
than  ever  disgusted,  and  said  that  they  wanted  facts,  not 
words.” 

To-day,  what  do  Peruvians  know  of  the  Bible  ? The  well- 
educated  have  heard  a number  of  isolated  texts  from  the  Psalms 
and  the  Prophets,  twisted  so  as  to  apply  to  the  Virgin  Mary; 


THE  DOOR  OF  THE  JESUIT  CHURCH,  CUZCO. 


THE  UNKNOWN  BIBLE 


265 


they  know  well  the  two  sayings  of  our  Lord  upon  which  the 
dogma  of  infallibility  is  built ; if  they  have  been  educated  in  a 
convent  school  they  will  doubtless  remember,  with  a great  deal 
else  of  absurd  legendary  character,  a few  Bible  stories — two  or 
three  from  the  Old  Testament — and  a brief  outline  of  the  birth 
and  death  of  Christ. 

The  'priests  do  not  possess  and  have  never  studied  the  Bible. 
Members  of  their  own  communities  have  told  me  that  theo- 
logical students  are  required  to  know  only  a few  isolated  texts. 
Devotees  of  the  Church  possess  many  lives  of  saints,  devotional 
poems  to  the  Virgin,  and  prayers  to  be  said  before  various 
images  or  relics;  but  I have  never  seen  a verse  of  Scripture 
quoted  in  one  of  these  books.  Sermons  are  commenced  by  the 
recitation  of  a text  with  which  they  frequently  do  not  deal  at 
all ; school  catechisms  teach  nothing  of  the  Bible ; even  the 
best  book-shops  in  the  capital  do  not  stock  The  Book. 

Is  it  strange,  then,  that  the  people  of  Peru  are  starved,  and 
that  they  listen  with  wonder  and  new  joy  to  the  Word  of  God 
which  they  have  been  denied  ? 

Preaching. 

In  England,  Romanism  is  morally  compelled  to  give  some 
kind  of  Christian  preaching  from  her  pulpits ; in  Peru,  she  is 
not.  That  when  the  Bible  is  shut  preaching  inevitably 
degenerates,  history  confirms.  As  early  as  the  twelfth  century, 
a learned  English  Churchman  exclaimed : “ The  priests  have 
altogether  given  up  the  preaching  of  God’s  Word,  and  have 
become  dumb  dogs.”  Of  the  state  of  Italy  in  1681  it  was 
said : “The  Dominicans  preach  eternally  on  the  Rosary ; the 
Carmelites  on  the  Scapulary ; the  Franciscans  on  the  Rope  of 
St.  Francis;  and  the  Saccolanti  have  for  their  subject  St. 
Anthony  of  Padua.” 

The  worst  which  can  be  said  of  Roman  Catholic  lands  in 
their  darkest  hours  is  true  of  Peru.  In  the  villages  of  the 


266 


PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  WORSHIP 


Sierra,  sermons  are  of  very  rare  occurrence ; but  in  Arequipa  the 
two  parts  of  the  Misa  (Mass)  are  divided  by  a sermon  in  one 
church  at  least  every  day,  and  on  a feast-day  in  every  church. 
Tlie  subjects  usually  chosen  are  the  lives  of  the  Saints,  or 
the  history  of  a feast,  and  the  benefits  which  its  celebration 
brings. 

As  most  of  the  fiestas  are  dedicated  to  the  Virgin,  most  of 
the  sermons  are  about  her.  The  last  days  of  Holy  Week  are 
devoted  entirely  to  remembering  her  sufferings,  which  the 
Church  teaches  were  greater  than  those  of  Christ,  inasmuch  as 
her  heart  is  always  represented  as  pierced  by  several  arrows, 
and  His  by  only  one. 

A fundamental  principle  is  involved  in  the  fact  that  these 
sermons  have  no  practical  exhortation.  Rome  has  over- 
emphasized the  outward : works  not  faith  ; what  is  seen  rather 
than  the  heart ; ceremonies  in  place  of  consecration.  The  con- 
ception is  general  in  Peru  that  virtue  does  not  consist  in  being 
good  or  doing  good,  but  in  punctilious  attendance  to  religious 
ceremonies. 

In  a speech  delivered  before  the  Peruvian  National  Assembly 
in  1867  by  Dr.  D.  Fernando  Casds,  the  following  statement 
was  made  with  regard  to  preaching  in  Peru : — 

“ Sunday  preaching  does  not  exist ; which  accounts  for  the 
fact  that  our  masses  are  completely  ignorant  of  the  contents  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  Neither  does  ordinary  preaching  exist, 
which  accounts  for  the  fact  that  Evangelical  truth  is  unknown. 
The  only  tiling  which  exists,  gentlemen,  is  the  preaching  of 
eulogies  on  the  ‘ Saints.’ 

“ If  an3'thing  then  is  known  of  Christianity  in  the  interior 
of  Peru,  it  is  no  more  than  that  which  relates  to  the  Saints  and 
to  the  celebration  of  the  feasts  of  the  parish.  This,  the  sensuous 
part  of  Christianity,  is  known  by  the  recurrence  of  feasts  and 
public  festivities.  ...  Is  it  not  true,  gentlemen,  that  worship 
such  as  this  is  more  pagan  than  Christian  ? ” 

The  diary  of  a missionary  in  Cuzco  records  the  impression 


FROTHY  RHETORIC  267 

made  upon  a truly  spiritually  minded  Christian  by  one  of  the 
special  sermons  of  Easter  week. 

“To-night,”  Mr.  Newell  wrote,  “I  attended  one  of  the  special 

mission  services  in  the  cathedral ; Padre  M was  preaching ; 

a popular,  flowery  orator.  He  was  recently  expelled  from 
Ecuador,  and  has  sought  an  asylum  in  less-enlightened  Peru. 
The  cathedral,  a huge  edifice  built  by  the  Incas  under  Spanish 
direction,  was  chilly  and  gloomy,  the  darkness  only  being 
relieved  by  a few  lamps  hung  here  and  there.  The  preacher’s 
face  was  not  discernible.  The  women  sat  on  their  prayer  mats 
in  the  centre  ; the  men-folk,  mostly  the  poorer  class,  stood  around. 
The  high  altar  was  in  a blaze  of  light,  above  which  towered  the 
wonderful  mii-acle-working  image,  El  Sefior  de  los  Temblores 
(The  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes).  The  preacher’s  subject  was 
“ Calumny  he  appeared  to  be  well  versed  in  the  art  of  public 
speaking,  and  used  his  strong  voice  with  considerable  effect, 
evidently  interesting  his  vast  congregation.  But  there  was 
nothing  for  hungry  souls.  Wit,  anecdote,  and  sarcasm  all 
served  their  turn ; but  there  was  no  revelation  of  an  infallible 
cure  in  the  Person  and  Work  of  the  Redeemer.  It  was  a 
Gospel-less  sermon,  and  what  I heard  could  have  been  con- 
sistently preached  by  a most  advanced  materialist.  It  was  hard, 
cold  morality,  dished  up  with  frothy  rhetoric.  My  soul  longed 
to  tell  the  people  of  Him  in  whom  there  is  an  infinite  reservoir 
of  grace,  where  calumny  and  every  other  sin  may  be  cleansed 
away  for  ever.” 

Is  it  a wonder  that  the  works  of  Christianity  are  not  seen 
in  the  lives  of  the  professing  Christiana  of  Peru  ? They  are 
starving ! They  have  been  denied  both  the  Holy  Scriptures  and 
tlie  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 


Worship. 


But  surely  the  Church  conducts  prayer  and  worship ! Is 
there  not  food  for  the  hungry  in  her  services  ? Alas,  the  over- 


268 


PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  WORSHIP 


development  of  ceremonialism  hut  marks  the  decay  of  the 
life  it  once  expressed.  The  spiritual  is  almost  completely 
materialized. 

Even  amongst  the  most  devout  and  enlightened,  intercourse 
of  the  soul  with  God  does  not  appear  to  exist.  Latin  formulas 
of  eulogy  and  supplication  are  totally  incomprehensible  to  the 
worshippers,  and  Spanish  prayers  concerned  with  virgins, 
saints,  images,  or  their  miracles,  and  addressed  more  frequently 
to  creatures  than  to  the  Creator,  are  obviously  incapable  of 
imparting  spiritual  comfort  or  in.spiration.  The  mechanical 
worship  of  Peru  tends  to  soothe  the  conscience,  but  not  to 
satisfy  the  soul.  Oh  that  I could  adequately  picture  to  you 
some  of  these  pathetic  and  paltry  ceremonies  so  far  removed 
from  the  simple  services  of  Protestant  and  even  some  Catholic 
churches  we  know  in  England  ! 

It  is  Sunday  morning  in  Cuzco.  The  church  in  which  we 
stand  is  a high  hall,  long  and  narrow,  with  gaudily  framed 
oil-paintings  running  the  length  of  its  walls.  The  whole  of  the 
farther  end  blazes  with  colour ; the  huge  gilt  altar  is  covered 
with  artificial  flowers  of  pink,  red,  and  tinsel.  From  one  high- 
up  window  a ray  of  sunlight  falls  aslant  the  altar,  making  its 
trimmings  look  as  tawdry  as  Christmas-tree  ornaments  when 
the  candles  have  guttered  out  over  night,  and  the  sun  of  Boxing 
Day  has  risen.  Above  the  altar  are  saints  in  garments  of 
yellow  and  heliotrope,  and  angels  with  gauze  wings ; before  the 
Host  are  long-robed  priests  with  magnificent  crosses  embroidered 
on  their  vestments ; and  below  all  the  tinsel,  paper,  and  finery, 
there  is  a kneeling  crowd. 

The  music  is  very  poor ; a small  weak  harmonium  is  being 
played  in  valse  time,  and  now  and  then  some  phrase  is  sung  in 
a boy’s  ra.sping  voice,  strained  two  or  three  tones  too  high,  and 
devoid  of  any  music. 

Now  the  seminary  scholars  are  standing,  hats  in  hand,  ready 
to  kneel  when  the  Host  is  raised  and  the  wafer  becomes  Christ. 
The  bell  sounds ; a young  priest  waves  the  censor  furiou.sly ; 


DANGEROUS  DEVOTIONS  ! 


269 


every  head  in  the  building  is  bowed,  when  suddenly  there  is  a 
tremendous  explosion ! Is  the  building  on  fire,  or  is  the 
hall  laid  with  gunpowder  ? Bang  ! bang  ! bang  ! Smoke  and 
smell  of  powder  fill  the  place,  but  the  dark  heads  are  bowed 
the  lower,  and  the  Indian  women  kneeling  near  me  knock  their 
foreheads  on  the  ground  and  cross  themselves  afresh. 

When  this  experience  was  first  mine,  I was  too  surprised  to 
attend  to  the  service,  and  kept  my  eyes  on  the  ragged  little  boy 
at  the  door,  who  turned  out  to  be  the  culprit.  When  I noticed 
him  first  he  was  standing  on  the  old  Inca  lintel — a great  blue 
stone  which  now  lay  prone  on  the  threshold.  In  the  corner 
close  by  him  stood  a small  candle,  and  scattered  around  were 
the  remains  of  what  I took  to  be  squibs. 

In  a few  minutes  the  second  Mass  bell  rang,  and  this  time 
I was  on  the  look  out  to  see  what  mj’’  small  friend  would  do. 
He  stood  on  the  old  stone,  both  hands  full  of  squibs,  and  at  the 
sound  of  the  bell  thrust  them  into  the  flame.  Immediately  the 
explosions  began,  and  the  popping,  jumping  crackers  were 
hurled  everywhere.  They  blazed  on  the  lintel  by  the  hundred  ; 
they  were  thrown  at  street  - boys,  and  set  passing  horses 
a-galloping ; they  strewed  the  floor  of  the  church  ; one  fell  on  my 
skirt  and  would  have  burnt  a hole  in  it  had  not  a lady  got  up 
from  her  knees  and  shaken  it  oft*.  Meanwhile  the  harmonium 
continued  playing,  and  the  officiating  priests  walked  and  bowed 
and  knelt  before  the  altar. 

Such  is  the  Sunday  morning  service  in  Santa  Teresa  ! If 
families  are  there,  the  father  must  sit  with  the  men,  and  the  girls 
must  lay  their  shawls  or  mats  on  the  mud  ffoor  and  kneel  beside 
their  mothers.  Worshippers  enter  and  leave  when  they  choose,  and 
the  mysterious  rite  of  the  Misa  continues.  There  is  no  hymn,  no 
prayer,  no  sermon,  no  reading  which  it  is  possible  to  distinguish. 
The  devout  kneel  very  reverently  and  mutter  “ Ave  Marias,”  or 
read  from  devotional  books ; and  others  walk  up  and  down  the 
church  to  display  their  new  canes  and  ties  and  mantas,  cross 
themselves  with  holy  water,  and  go  out  into  the  sunshine  again. 


270 


PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  WORSHIP 


An  extract  from  my  diary  illustrates  the  emptiness  of  these 
ceremonies,  so  destitute  of  spiritual  help. 

I have  just  returned  from  the  cathedral,  where  I attended 
two  baptisms.  As  the  building  itself  is  being  repaired,  the 
ceremonies  were  performed  in  a side  church,  a very  disreputable 
place,  with  large  holes  in  its  brick  floor  and  decaying  “ saints  ” in 
its  altar  niches. 

Over  the  stone  front  a magnificent  erection  had  been  made. 
There  were  railings  surrounding  it,  arched  by  a silver  rainbow. 
The  ornamental  doors  were  of  imitation  glass  and  coloured 
cardboard,  and  the  drapery  above  was  pink  chiffon  with  a silver 
paper  fringe.  All  around  were  masses  of  artificial  flowers  of 
every  colour,  and  to  complete  the  effect  a streamer  of  red 
chiffon,  gold-fringed,  had  been  draped  from  the  ceiling  to  the 
huge  pots  of  artificial  flowers  which  stood  on  either  side  of  the 
bower’s  entrance. 

The  first  baptism  was  quite  a poor  one.  Half  a dozen  women 
came  in  and  sat  on  the  floor ; the  mother  and  her  two  friends  wore 
black  mantas,  and  the  muchachas  had  rough  red  Indian  cloths 
o^"er  their  heads.  One  of  them  carried  the  baby — a wee,  dark- 
skinned  mite  with  big  hands  and  a lot  of  black  hair.  The 
gentlemen  of  the  party  presently  returned  from  the  vestry  with 
a priest.  He  appeared  to  be  a very  raw  youth  : the  bald  patch 
on  his  head  was  newly  shaved ; his  face  was  weak  and  irre- 
solute ; his  dark  gown  was  too  short  for  him,  and  his  lace 
jacket  and  violet  .scarf  were  very  dirty.  When  he  emerged 
from  the  vestry,  two  little  Indian  boys  scurried  across  the  nave 
and  soon  returned,  their  rough  .shocks  of  hair  wildly  rumpled 
with  the  hasty  donning  of  filthy  surplices.  These  functionaries 
took  their  stand  behind  the  young  priest,  one  holding  a small 
dish  of  salt  and  the  other  a draped  pole  surmounted  by  a cross. 
The  women  were  now  standing ; and  the  baby,  in  its  long  white 
frock  and  numerous  pink  bows,  was  handed  over  to  the  father, 
an  oldish  gentleman  in  rusty  black  clothes. 

The  priest  fumbled  with  his  Latin  text-book  and  read  snatches 


INFANT  BAPTISM 


271 


in  an  inaudible  voice.  Three  or  four  times  he  was  interrupted 
by  squibs  which  were  exploded  in  hundreds  by  the  muchachas, 
a few  steps  away.  At  one  point  in  the  service  he  held  his  hand 
in  benediction  over  the  child ; at  another  he  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross  several  times  on  its  face ; once  the  smaller  Indian  boy 
was  beckoned,  and  salt  was  placed  on  the  baby’s  lips ; finally  the 
priest  shut  his  book,  covered  the  child’s  face  with  his  stole,  and 
the  whole  group  moved  to  the  font.  There  the  priest  con- 
cluded further  readings  at  an  incredibly  swift  pace ; the  baby’s 
head  was  rubbed  with  cotton-wool  damped  with  holy  water,  and 
the  priest  bowed,  intimating  that  the  ceremony  was  concluded. 

I watched  the  muchacha  take  the  baby  and  replace  its  quaint 
little  bonnet  and  pink  net  veil,  and  while  I was  smiling  good- 
bye to  the  mother,  another  party  entered  the  cathedral. 

These  appeared  to  be  wealthy  people.  The  father  was  a 
well-dressed  little  Peruvian,  the  mother  a middle-aged  lady  robed 
in  black  satin.  Several  very  elegant  young  damsels  wearing  pale 
green  or  heliotrope  silks  and  lace  mantas,  were  present,  and  the 
gentlemen  and  little  boys  all  sported  smart  new  suits.  Some 
servants  followed — one  cai'rying  a little  girl  very  grandly 
dressed,  and  another  the  baby.  Either  its  clothing  was  exces- 
sive or  else  that  baby  was  extraordinarily  large ! Any 
description  of  the  bundle  carried  by  the  muchacha  is  impossible. 
It  appeared  to  me  that  the  child  had  been  laid  on  a board, 
packed  in  wadding  and  a long  white  cloak,  and  tied  up  with 
pink  ribbons. 

The  same  priest  officiated,  but  this  time  he  was  arrayed  in 
a purple  robe  embroidered  with  gold,  and  it  was  a more 
magnificent  tassel  which  he  placed  on  the  child’s  face  at  the 
correct  moment.  Grander  vestments  seemed  to  have  given  him 
self-confidence,  and  this  time  he  repeated  the  service  in  loud 
tones,  but  so  fast  that  I caught  only  one  recognizable  word  the 
whole  time.  There  were  no  fireworks ; but  after  a short  prayer 
in  Spanish,  during  which  no  eye  was  closed,  the  party  adjourned 
to  the  font  where  the  baby  was  duly  baptized. 


2J2 


PUBLIC  AND  PRIVATE  WORSHIP 


Everybody  then  looked  pleased ; a muchacha  carried  away 
the  infant ; one  of  the  party  tipped  the  little  Indian  boys,  and 
the  gentlemen  retired  with  the  priest  to  the  vestry. 

And  this  is  all  that  the  most  devout  in  Peru  can  enjoy.  Is 
it  not  painfully  true  that  Rome  is  a spiritual  famine  ? 

When  ceremonies  lose  their  life  they  themselves  are  destined 
soon  to  pass  away.  The  survival  of  Roman  Catholic  ceremonial- 
ism in  Peru  is  due  to  an  abnormal  development  of  that  world- 
wide tendency  which  Spaniards  call  costumbre.  A form, 
bereft  of  life  and  power,  as  it  were,  is  preserved ; and 
Peruvians  themselves  confess  this  mockery  of  religion  to  be 
costumbre,  no  mas  (custom,  nothing  more). 

A missionary  diary  from  Northern  Peru  runs  : — 

“ It  was  touching  to  see  the  ignorant  idolaters,  busy  with 
their  shrine,  stop  me  to  obtain  Las  Buenas  Nueva.s  (The  Good 
News).  As  I passed  they  were  just  finishing  the  altar,  and 
carefully  arranging  the  rose-crowned  virgin  and  her  child.  A 
note  of  satisfaction  went  round,  the  large  image  was  fixed,  and 
a row  of  greasy  candles  set  alight  in  the  glare  of  the  sun. 
Behind  the  shrine  was  a repulsive  picture  of  Christ  on  the 
cross,  with  other  pictures  painted  on  the  canvas  awning. 

“ A bottle  of  rum  was  now  pa.ssed  from  one  to  another, 
and  ourselves  among  the  rest  invited  to  take  ‘just  a little.’ 
We  did  not  accept  the  proffered  kindness,  but,  being  asked  to 
sit  down,  were  glad  of  a refuge  from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  now 
at  its  zenith.  I opened  my  New  Testament,  and  even  there, 
before  the  idolatrous  shrine,  had  a group  of  attentive  listenei’s 
as  I spoke  of  the  true  Cross  and  the  Crucified  One  whom  they 
so  little  understood.  Some  of  them  apologized  for  their  ‘ show  ’ 
by  saying  it  was  only  a custom  of  the  ‘ Christians  ’ of  Peru. 
Poor  folk,  the  mockery  of  religion  imposed  on  them  by  a false 
priesthood  is  their  misfortune  rather  than  their  fault!  Their 
whole  religious  life  is  only  an  idolatrous  ‘custom,’  a lifeless 
‘ show.’  ” 

May  these  words  ring  in  our  minds  while  we  follow  the 


STARVATION  ! 


273 

studies  of  the  idols,  processions,  and  pilgrimages  of  Peru  as 
sketched  in  the  following  chapters. 

Costumbre,  no  mas  ! 

Costumbre ! 

Costumbre ! 

Spiritual  starvation ! 

And  may  the  voice  of  God,  inspiring  and  irresistible,  say 
to  us  each  one — 

“ Give  ye  them  to  eat.” 


18 


Chapter  XXV. — Idolatry — 

Saint-worship  as  distinct  from  image-worship — “ Onr  Lord 
of  the  Sea" — The  “Saint"  who  is  a lieutenant-colonel  in  the 
Brazilian  army — Hoio  two  “ Saints  ” sued  each  other  in  the 
law-courts — “ The  Sxoeating  Image  ” — Belies  which  hide  the 
Redeemer. 


275 


A PERUVIAN  IDOL. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


IDOLATRY 

“ My  people  have  committed  two  evils  ; they  have  forsaken  Me,  the  fountain 
of  living  waters,  and  hewed  them  out  cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that  can  hold 
no  water.” — Jeremiah  ii.  13. 

A NY  system  which  puts  another  name  near  that  of  Jesus 
tends  towards  idolatry.  By  disregarding  this  principle, 
Romanism  has  allowed  the  commemoration  of  the  deaths  of 
martyrs  to  degenerate  into  prayer  to  Saints,  and  finally  into 
worship  of  their  images. 

Amongst  the  educated  classes  in  Peru,  saint-worship  is  very 
common.  Devotional  books  comprise  stories  of  the  lives  of 
Santa  Rosa,  Santa  Catalina,  or  Santa  Teresa,  and  sermons  are 
occupied  with  the  intercessory  powers  of  San  Antonio,  San 
Sebastian,  or  Santo  Toribio.  Numerous  relics  and  images 
assist  the  imagination  of  devotees  as  they  render  prayers  and 
adoration  to  glorified  Saints. 

But  the  poorer  classes  of  Peruvians  have  no  devotional 
books ; they  live  in  villages  where  sermons  are  of  exceptional 
occurrence ; and  their  curas  do  not  teach  them  either  evangelical 
truths  or  traditions  concerning  the  saints.  Yet  the  homes  and 
churches  of  these  people  teem  with  images,  the  names  of  which 
are  household  words.  “ Our  Lady  of  Bethlehem  ” is  worshipped 
by  those  who  have  never  heard  about  the  young  mother  who 
laid  her  baby  in  a manger.  “ Our  Lord  of  the  Sea  ” is  revered 
by  many  who  do  not  know  whom  we  mean  by  the  Lord  Jesus. 
One  virgin  is  distinguished  from  another  in  Peru  by  her 

277 


278 


IDOLATRY 


features  and  her  jewels;  one  Saint  from  another  by  the 
village  to  which  he  belongs.  Thus  images  cover  no  historic 
reality.  They  themselves  are  real;  they  are  idols.  After 
residence  in  Peru  one  naturally  uses  the  personal  pronouns 
denoting  either  masculine  or  feminine  gender  when  speaking  of 
the  images.  This  is  the  invariable  custom  of  the  people,  and 
denotes  how  real  to  them  are  the  personalities  with  which  they 
invest  their  idols  of  wood  and  paint. 

Each  town  has  its  popular  “saint”  or  idol.  Even  Callao, 
which  may  almost  be  called  a suburb  of  the  capital,  is  given 
up  to  the  worship  of  Our  Lord  of  the  Sea.  The  wooden  image 
thus  named  was  found,  it  is  said,  on  the  shore,  where  it  had 
been  washed  up  from  the  wreck  of  a village  destroyed  by  the 
sea.  It  now  stands  in  the  Church  of  Santa  Rosa,  sumptuously 
arrayed  and  adorned  with  jewels.  Hundreds  of  poor  super- 
stitious men  and  women  daily  pray  to  it  as  Nuestro  Senor 
(“  Our  Lord  ”),  for  it  is  supposed  that  only  by  his  miraculous 
power  is  Callao  guarded  from  earthquakes  and  tidal  waves. 
Every  year  a solemn  procession  is  organized,  in  which  the 
image,  mounted  upon  a highly  decorated  stage,  is  carried  down 
to  the  sea.  Lighted  candles  borne  by  black-shrouded  women ; 
pungent  incense  ascending  from  the  swinging  censers  of  acolytes  ; 
a canopy  held  on  high  above  a number  of  gorgeously  robed 
priests ; the  town  band,  a company  of  soldiers,  and  crowds  of 
dancing,  drunken  devotees,  attend  the  procession  of  “ Our  Lord 
of  the  Sea  ” as  he  goes  to  be  dipped  in  the  waves,  thus  to  pacify 
them  for  another  year. 

How  suggestive  this  scenery  might  be  ! The  rippling  waters 
of  the  Bay  speaking  of  a lake-side  where  Jesus  Himself 
walked ; the  shore,  with  its  nets  and  piles  of  silver  fish,  of  the 
Sea  of  Galilee.  Would  that  there  were  here  some  memory 
of  Him  whom  even  the  winds  and  the  waves  obeyed ! and  that 
Nuestro  Senor  del  Mar  might  speak  to  Peru  of  the  Lord  of 
earth  and  sky  and  sea ! But,  alas,  this  Peruvian  procession  is 
only  a burlesque ! These  drunken  enthusiasts  have  never 


SAN  ANTONIO 


279 


heard  of  Galilee ; they  have  never  had  the  opportunity  of 
listening  to  the  Gospel  story ; their  prayers  are  addressed  to  a 
painted  idol. 

A religious  chronicle  of  Lima  lately  recommended  the  worship 
of  San  Antonio  de  Lisboa,  extolling  him  as  the  one  who  can 
recover  lost  possessions ; who  is  the  patron  of  missionaries,  of 
sailors,  and  of  the  hopeless,  and  who  can  secure  husbands  for 
maidens.  It  then  sketched  the  career  of  this  saint  as  a member 
of  the  Brazilian  army;  enrolled  in  1670,  distinguished  at  the 
battle  of  Dos  Palmeras,  and  in  1816  promoted  to  Lieutenant- 
Colonel — while  all  the  time  his  image  peacefully  remained  in 
its  niche,  his  arms  and  uniform  hung  in  the  Franciscan  convent 
at  Olinda,  and  the  Town  Council  paid  his  salary  to  the  Church  ! 

“ With  patience  we  wait,”  adds  this  pious  and  enlightened 
Peruvian  author,  “in  the  expectancy  of  shortly  seeing  San 
Antonio  a General,  and  within  a few  hundred  years.  Emperor 
or  President  of  the  Brazilian  republic.”  ^ 

Such  an  astonishing  article,  published  as  it  was  by  the 
Church,  raises  in  our  minds  the  question : How  then  do  these 

Roman  Catholics  regard  the  image  ? The  better-class  people 
evince  their  belief  in  the  activity  of  this  departed  “ saint  ” by 
giving  liberal  subscriptions  to  the  Church,  in  the  hope  that 
some  financial  offer  may  enlist  his  services  for  their  country. 
Young  ladies  of  educational  attainments  pray  with  faith  before 
pink  and  silver  images  of  a pretty  j^oung  man  in  the  military  dress 
of  ancient  Rome  ! And  the  President  speaks  of  having  subdued 
a rebellion  with  San  Antonio’s  help.  In  each  case  the  Protestant 
mind  is  puzzled.  Is  this  San  Antonio  an  angel  or  an  image  ? 
Probably  the  devout  among  the  more  educated  classes  think  of 
him  as  a vague  personality,  belonging  neither  to  an  historic 
character  nor  yet  to  an  idol,  but  rather  to  the  .spirit  of  the  Saint 
in  heaven.  Tho.se  ecclesiastics  who  reflect  must  know  better ; 
but  why  should  San  Antonio’s  salary  be  lost  to  the  Church  ? 

^ This  quotation,  with  many  others  employed  in  the  following  chapters, 
I translated  directly  from  the  Spanish  original. 


28o 


IDOLATRY 


As  for  the  common  people,  they  have  never  transgressed  the 
wishes  of  the  priesthood  by  thinking,  and  to  them  the  “ saint’s  ” 
effigy  represents  nothing.  It  has  a personality  of  its  own ; San 
Antonio  is  one  of  a class  of  beings  unknown  in  England.  He 
is  an  imdgen,  or  miraculous  idol. 

An  incident  which  occurred  lately  in  a small  Chileno  village 
illustrates  the  position  of  “ saints  ” in  Peru.  The  priest  of  Yumbel 
announced  that  he  had  found  an  image  of  San  Sebastian  which 
had  fallen  from  heaven  into  a certain  grove.  On  San  Sebastian’s 
Day  he  set  up  this  image  in  a niche  of  his  church,  where  it  soon 
came  to  be  famous  for  miracles.  This  was  profitable  to  the 
holy  man,  since  he  received  the  donations  of  grateful  devotees. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  bethought  himself  that  a pilgrimage 
would  be  acceptable  to  San  Sebastian,  and  accordingly,  at  a 
suitable  season,  the  pilgrimage  was  instituted.  Finally  the 
“ saint  ” became  an  important  source  of  revenue  to  the  town. 

So  successful  had  the  methods  employed  by  the  cura  of 
Yumbel  pi’oved,  that  his  companion  in  Los  Angeles  (Chili) 
adopted  a similar  plan,  and  the  two  San  Sebastians  competed 
for  the  gratuities  of  miracle-seeking  pilgrims.  The  first  priest, 
backed  by  those  who  had  profited  by  the  original  saint,  now 
went  to  the  civil  authorities  to  complain  against  the  innovation 
made  by  his  brother  in  the  Faith.  The  lawyers,  glad  to  share 
the  spoils,  carried  on  the  suit  for  years.  The  documents  were 
made  out  in  the  names  of  the  two  “ saints  ” who  were  suing  each 
other,  and  so  notorious  did  the  affair  become,  that  finally  a 
Prelate  of  Santiago  sent  for  the  priests,  commanded  them  to 
stop  the  lawsuit,  and  to  turn  the  revenues  of  both  shrines  over 
to  him. 

In  November  1906  a most  striking  incident  occurred  in 
Lima.  The  late  President  of  Congress  had  removed  the  crucifix 
from  the  table  of  the  House,  and  in  revenge  the  Archbishop 
refused  him  a public  requiem  at  his  death.  A vote  of  censure 
was  pa.ssed  against  the  Archbishop  for  this  act,  to  which  the 


“THE  SWEATING  IMAGE” 


281 


Church  of  Rome  answered  by  the  organization  of  a monstrous 
but  most  profitable  farce. 

The  old  sacristan  of  the  church  of  El  Prado  was  one 
mox’ning  dusting  the  images  stored  in  ,a  back  room  of  the 
building.  A figure  of  Christ  falling  beneath  the  weight  of 
His  Cross  he  decided  to  renovate,  and  after  painting  it,  set  it 
up  in  the  church. 

The  report  was  then  circulated  that  an  image  of  Christ  in 
the  church  of  El  Prado  was  so  affected  at  the  Archbishop’s 
treatment  that  it  was  sweating.  A nun  had  first  observed  the 
wonder,  and  in  a few  days  it  was  difficult  to  enter  the  building 
for  the  crowds  which  were  worshipping  the  image. 

One  day,  while  the  excitement  was  still  high,  a missionary 
visited  the  church,  and  he  thus  describes  what  he  saw  A “At 
the  foot  of  the  altar  steps  was  a wooden  image  supposed  to 
represent  Christ.  It  was  the  usual  style  of  hideous,  tawdry  idol 
with  which  Rome  captivates  her  dupes.  The  figure  had  long 
black  hair  reaching  past  the  waist.  On  its  .shoulder  was  a large 
cross  painted  green  and  yellow,  under  the  weight  of  which  the 
Lord  was  supposed  to  be  staggering.  The  image  was  dressed 
in  a long  crim.son  velvet  robe,  trimmed  with  deep  gold  braid ; 
it  had  also  a large  collar  and  cuffs  of  lace.  On  the  skirt  were 
pinned  about  a dozen  silver  medals  (given  in  gratitude  by 
persons  who  had  been  miraculously  healed  by  the  image !). 
Crowded  around  were  numbers  of  women  on  their  knees, 
.striking  their  breasts  and  crying : Aye  ! Dios  mio,  Dios  mio ! 
(‘  Oh,  my  God,  my  God  ! ’).  The  ignorance  and  superstition  on 
their  faces  was  painful  to  see.  On  the  outer  edge  of  the  crowd 
were  ladies  of  the  better  class  who  had  visited  the  church  out 
of  curiosity,  and  now  watched  the  scene  with  a sort  of  in- 
credulous smile  on  their  faces.  Round  about  stood  many  men, 
laughing  and  sneering  at  the  whole  deception. 

“ I managed  to  get  quite  close  to  the  image,  but  could  see  no 

^ This  extract  was  kindly  furnished  from  the  diary  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Watson, 
missionary  of  the  K.B.M.U.  in  Lima. 


282 


IDOLATRY 


sweat.  The  face  was  coloured  with  a shiny  enamel  paint.  The 
reflection  of  hundreds  of  flickering  candles  and  lights  might 
easily  make  the  credulous  believe  that  this  was  sweat.  The 
image  could  only  be  seen  through  the  smoke  and  vapour  of 
candles. 

“ Although  there  was  no  perspiration  falling  from  the  ‘ saint,’ 
that  did  not  prevent  three  miserable  dirty  Negro  altar-attendants 
from  doing  a roaring  trade  in  front  of  the  image,  selling  small 

00  O'  o 

pieces  of  cotton  wool  ‘ wet  with  the  sweat  of  the  “ saint,”  ’ and 
all  nicely  wrapped  up  in  coloured  tissue  paper.  This  cotton 
wool  was  said  to  be  very  efficacious  in  curing  every  imaginable 
disease. 

“ As  I turned  to  leave  the  church  I glanced  through  the  open 
door  of  the  vestry.  There  in  full  view  of  the  Perspiring  Saint 
and  the  sweltering  crowd,  the  old  parish  prie.st  was  entertaining 
a young  priest  with  wines,  coffee,  and  cake — joking  and  laughing, 
wholly  indiffei'ent  to  the  poor  deluded  people  at  the  foot  of  the 
altar  steps.” 

By  the  most  ludicrous  and  pitiful  relics,  the  Evil  One 
distracts  the  attention  of  Peruvians  from  the  Cross.  We  learn, 
not  from  a musty  document  of  the  dai'k  ages,  but  from  a 
modern  paper  published  in  Trujillo,  Northern  Peru,  that  many 
“ relics  of  the  Passion  ” are  still  extant.  In  Rome,  for  instance, 
there  are  the  Temple  columns  upon  which  the  Child  Jesus 
leaned  when  He  discussed  with  the  doctors;  also  the  table  at 
which  the  Last  Supper  was  eaten ; the  towels  used  by  Our  Lord 
to  wipe  the  disciples’  feet ; the  cords  with  which  He  was  bound  ; 
a column  from  the  house  of  Caiaphas ; the  holy  staircase ; the 
bandage  used  to  cover  the  Lord’s  eyes  ; pieces  of  the  column  to 
which  He  was  bound  while  being  flogged ; the  lashes  ; the  nails ; 
a piece  of  the  sponge ; some  di’ops  of  blood  and  water.  Many 
other  precious  relics  are  preserved  in  Venice,  Turin,  Anagni, 
Valencia,  Barcelona,  and  other  parts  of  Spain.  Lima  claims 
to  have  a piece  of  the  Cross,  but  as  the  Trujillano  paper  confesses. 


From  a photogyaph\ 


“THE  SWEATING  IMAGE.” 


\hy  Janies  IFnison. 


THE  TANGIBLE 


283 


there  are  fragments  “ all  over  the  earth.”  It  is  stated  to  be 
indubitable,  however,  that  Arequipa  preserves  one  of  the  thorns 
of  Christ’s  crown,  and  is  therefore  looked  upon  as  highly 
favoured  amongst  cities. 

The  worship  of  such  relics  is  a part  of  the  same  degradation 
as  are  the  Peruvian  images.  In  a professedly  Christian  land, 
the  poor  and  ignorant  have  been  allowed  to  fall  into 
idolatry. 

Romanism  is  a sliding  scale : at  one  end  is  devout  though 
distorted  Christianity;  at  the  other,  paganism.  It  is  always 
easier  to  worship  the  visible  and  tangible  than  to  commune  with 
the  invisible  God.  For  the  better  instructed  Peruvian  devotees, 
the  supposed  miracles  of  relics  and  images  eclipse  the  works  of 
their  Creator  and  Redeemer;  while  the  poor  and  ignorant,  in 
a blind  search  for  the  Divine,  have  been  allured  by  tangible 
evidences  of  the  supernatural,  and  are  now  lost  in  idolatry  as 
pitiful  as  that  of  any  Burmese  priest  or  Fiji  Islander. 


7’ • ■ V "Tlfi  ^ ' ' ■ "‘Wli  M 


i » 


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- v^vfHl«il‘.  I ^ ;mA  ii  t’’  J|  i ' I ■ l*‘^u  V;>  ,.  1 

• ''••  i ■ ‘ '(#* W jij- 1 n u/J 

I'Vvt.f..'  *•(  • V ♦>;(/'  , j *a>'t  .•  ■ ^ 191''^ 

'\vV’ 

1\  ' ' • ' \'i ’<■  - : ■'•  •"  V • .I'.n'Mjt 

> >'i  ik  ••(:*;, sv'41  ( ' >j| 

,i , 't^,  ,v^’ .*'•'’  '■* ' '•  *''' .'  ’'“'  ’■  ' . 4f  ^*.*'1 

,.  ' I-  •■•■^'»*‘‘j-  v,’'.'r,Ak‘‘  |j;iM  ■» - 


■ rMif,r>  .-,ij 


Chapter  XXVI. — The  Queen  of  Heaven — 

The  history  of  Mariolatry — A land  where  every  girl  is 
called  after  the  Virgin  Mary — The  Feast  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception — “Miraculous"  Virgins  who  are  annually  visited 
hy  thousands  of  g)ilgrims — A Bible  which  “from  Genesis  to  the 
Apocalypse"  is  concerned  with  Mary — What  I saw  in  the 
vault  below  the  Church  of  Oxer  Lady  of  Solitude. 


285 


LA  VIRGEN.” 


This  Guatamalaii  monument,  erected  to  those  who  served  in  a Central  American  war, 
is  typical  ot  many  a Peruvian  statue.  The  relation  of  the  gracious  \'irgin  and 
wounded  soldier  is  very  striUriTg  ! 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE  QUEEN  OF  HEAVEN 

“We will  certainly  . . . burn  incense  unto  the  queen  of  heaven  ...  as 
we  have  done,  we  and  our  fathers  . . . for  then  had  we  plenty  of  victuals, 
and  were  well,  and  saw  no  evil.” — Jeremiah  xliv.  17. 

MARIOLATRY  is  the  most  popular  form  of  saint-worship, 
and  the  most  liable  to  degenerate  into  idolatry.  The 
ideal  of  Peru  is  La  Virgen  (The  Virgin).  To  the  educated  she  is 
the  Mary  of  Roman  Catholicism  the  world  over;  hut  to  the 
ignorant  masses  she  is  merely  a personification  of  ideal  tender- 
ness. It  is  interesting  to  notice,  as  Herr  von  Hase  ^ points  out, 
that  “ a little  plant,  used  from  ancient  times  as  a love-potion, 
has  borne  in  succession  the  names  of  Capillus  Veneris,  Freya’s 
herb,^  and  Maria  grass.” 

Thus  we  may  trace  the  Peruvian  worship  of  La  Virgen 
from  its  present  idolatry,  back  to  the  instincts  of  primitive 
races  of  mankind.  Glancing  through  Church  History,  we  realize 
how  this  evil  has  crept  into  Christianity.  In  the  second  and 
third  centuries,  women  who  manifested  extravagant  adoration 
of  the  Virgin,  were  looked  upon  as  heretics.  But  so  generally 
accepted  did  the  belief  in  her  divinity  become,  that  in  the  year 
431  the  Council  of  Ephesus  decided  that  the  Virgin  was  truly 
the  Mother  of  God,  and  therefore  on  an  equality  with  God. 

Opposition  to  the  popular  innovation  gradually  decreased; 

1 Karl  von  Hase,  Handbook  to  the  Controversy  with  Rome,  vol.  ii. 

2 Freya,  in  Norse  mythology,  was  the  goddess  of  fruitfulness,  of  faithful- 
ness, and  love. 


267 


288 


THE  QUEEN  OF  HEAVEN 


in  the  sixth  century  the  legend  of  the  ascension  of  the  Virgin 
was  taught ; five  hundred  years  later,  Peter  Damian,  Bishop  of 
Ostia  and  Cardinal  of  Rome,  declared  that  “all  power  was 
given  to  her  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  that  nothing  was 
impossible  to  her.”  Anselm,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  tells  us 
that  one  reason  why  our  Lord  left  her  behind  when  He  ascended 
to  heaven,  was  “ lest  perhaps  the  court  of  Heaven  might  have 
been  doubtful  which  they  should  rather  go  out  to  meet — their 
Lord  or  their  Lady.”  ^ 

St.  Bernard,  in  the  twelfth  century,  extols  the  Virgin  as 
“ the  subject  of  all  Scripture ; the  end  for  which  it  was  given  ” ; 
and  even  “ the  end  for  which  the  world  was  made.” 

In  Peru,  this  mistaken  worship  has  for  nearly  four  hundred 
years  enthralled  the  people.  In  every  house  are  pictures  of  the 
Virgin;  her  amulets  and  charms  are  worn  by  rich  and  poor 
alike ; almost  every  girl  bears  her  name ; Jesus  Maria ! is  the 
commonest  exclamation ; “ Hail,  most  holy  Mary ! ” and  the 
reply  “ Conceived  without  sin ! ” is  the  only  Indian  greeting ; 
hospital  wards  are  ornamented  with  images  of  the  Virgin ; 
figures  of  her  and  of  the  Child  Jesus  stand  on  the  desks  of 
normal  schools ; and  every  church  has  its  miraculous  Virgin. 

The  Goddess  of  Peru  is  honoured  by  various  means,  but 
perhaps  the  most  important  are  feasts,  pilgrimages,  and  sister- 
hoods. 

The  calendar  is  crowded  with  holidays  in  her  honour.  I 
was  present  at  the  Church  of  La  Merced,  Cuzco,  on  the  day 
when  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  was  celebrated.  The  preacher  extolled 
Mary  as  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  the  beauty  and  glory  of  the 
earth,  the  centre  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  the  hope  of  Peru. 

The  following  quotations  are  translated  from  the  panegyric 
delivered  in  1906  by  the  Canon  of  Cuzco,  at  the  celebration  of 
the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception : — 

“ All  generations  shall  call  me  blessed.” 


1 Related  by  W.  E.  Tayler,  Popery : its  Character  and  its  Crimes. 


A CUZQUENO  GODDESS. 


*%r 


“THE  FOUNTAIN  OF  LIFE” 


289 


“ Mary  is  the  divine  bond  between  the  ancient  law  and  that 
of  orace ; the  sacred  arch  which  unites  human  nature  with  the 
Divine ; the  highest  throne  where  dwells  the  Eternal,  surrounded 
by  the  splendours  of  uncreated  light,  in  whose  presence  virgins 
bear  fair  lilies  in  their  white  hands  and  the  martyrs  their 
palms,  while  the  angelic  hierarchy,  beating  their  transparent 
whigs,  sing  to  celestial  lyres  an  infinite  hosanna,  the  echoes  of 
which  fill  all  glory  with  jubilee,  and  celebrate  the  victory  over 
the  serpent,  and  the  eternal  alliance  of  the  creature  with  the 
Creator. 

“This  is  the  mysterious  Virgin  whose  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion the  Church  celebrates  to-day,  presenting  her  before  the 
eyes  of  our  faith  clothed  in  the  sun,  covered  with  the  moon, 
crowned  with  twelve  stars,  and  bathed  in  all  mystic  splendours, 
while  issues  from  her  mind  in  streams,  even  as  in  the  Land  of 
Paradise,  the  fountain  of  life.” 

After  speaking  of  the  Middle  Ages,  “ the  Church’s  age  of 
gold,”  the  Canon  continued : “ In  later  centuries  we  hear  in 
unison  a chorus  of  holy  eulogy,  warm  ardent  vows  and  tender 
praise,  which  from  all  sanctuaries,  great  and  small,  is  elevated 
to  heaven,  enwrapped  in  the  cadences  of  the  organ,  and  in  the 
delicate  perfume  of  roses  and  violets — in  order  that  there  may 
descend  upon  the  parched  earth  the  treasure  of  the  celestial 
graces  which  have  been  placed  in  her.” 

The  devotion  shown  at  feasts  the  orator  referred  to  as  “ the 
flower  of  our  worship  which  we  render  to  Mary.”  “ The 
worship  of  Mary  ” he  spoke  of  as  enlarging  its  borders,  and  in 
concluding  said : “ There  is  no  worship  nor  pious  devotion 
in  which  the  Ave  Maria  is  not  said.  Mary  is  to  Christ- 
ianity as  the  sun  in  the  firmament,  bringing  to  maturity  with 
her  Divine  heat,  the  faith,  the  devotion,  and  the  virtues  of 
Christians,  and  thus  producing  saints  and  virgins.” 

On  nearly  every  feast  day,  however  unimportant,  some 
gaudy  image  of  the  Virgin  is  carried  through  the  streets,  and 

19 


THE  QUEEN  OF  HEAVEN 


290 

educated  men  stand  bare-headed  while  the  women  kneel,  or 
follow  in  her  train. 

At  the  opening  of  the  twentieth  century,  Cuzco  witnes.sed 
quite  a novel  procession  in  honour  of  Mary.  The  favourite 
image  of  Christ  proceeded  from  the  Cathedral,  and  was  borne 
in  state  to  the  farther  corner  of  the  plaza,  where  it  met 
those  of  His  Mother  and  St.  Joseph.  The  many  Indians 
who  bore  the  weighty  image  kneeled  down  in  order  to  make 
Christ  bow  to  the  Virgin ; and  then,  on  rising,  they  moved  on 
one  side,  to  allow  her  to  pass,  and  followed  on  behind  her  in 
stately  procession  to  the  Cathedral. 

Thei’e  are  various  Virgins  in  the  West  of  South  America  to 
whose  shrines  pilgrimages  are  organized.  The  mo.st  famous 
of  these  is  Our  Lady  of  Copacabana,  whose  sanctuary  is  more 
particularly  described  in  the  following  chapter.  Twice  a year 
it  is  visited  by  four  thousand  devotees.  The  Virgin’s  jewels  are 
worth  fabulous  sums,  and  she  has  made  the  distant  shore  of 
Titicaca  famous  all  over  the  world. 

On  August  6th,  1907,  while  I was  myself  a “ pilgrim  ” at  the 
.shrine  dedicated  to  this  idolatry,  the  following  devotion  was 
composed  by  a certain  Flora  Martinez  P 


TO  THE  VIRGIN  OF  COPACABANA. 

“ The  fame  of  your  miracles  is  proverbial  in  all  the  world  ; 

Wlio  does  uot  weep  copiously  at  the  sight  of  thee? 

What  breast  does  not  burn  seeing  thy  glorious  face, 

And  feeling  something  of  the  mystery  which  inflames  all  thy  lieing? 

How  many  blind  sinners,  how  many  hardened  men 

Have  gone  away  converted  solely  through  having  seen  th}'  image ! 

Thou  who  workest  so  many  wonders,  who  alleviatest  all  bitterness. 
Dost  regard  with  the  greatest  tenderness  all  wlio  visit  thee. 

For  this  cause  I have  longed  to  come  near  and  speak  to  thee — 

To  recount  all  my  .sorrows — ah,  to  weep  before  thee  ! 


CALVARY 


291 


Remember  that  tliy  Holy  Son  descended  from  the  heights 
To  save  His  children,  and  to  die  on  a cross. 

Thee  He  chose  for  His  Mother,  who  in  infinite  suffering 
Didst  give  light  to  all  sinners  on  Calvary.”  1 

The  following  are  translations  of  extracts  from  the  “ Rules 
for  the  Sisterhood  of  our  Most  Holy  Mother  of  the  Good 
Success,  established  in  the  parish  of  San  Bias,  Cuzco.” 

On  the  second  of  July,  1G70,  the  day  on  which  the  Church 
celebrates  the  visit  of  the  Holiest  Mary  to  her  cousin  Elizabeth, 
the  faithful  discovered  on  the  side  wall  of  the  temple  some 
lines  representing  the  Virgin  with  the  Child  Jesus  in  her 
left  hand  and  a rosary  in  her  right.  This  intelligence  was 
spread  through  the  city,  and  immediately  a crowd  of  people 
gathered  about  the  building,  crying  aloud — “The  Virgin  of 
the  Rosary  has  appeared.”  It  was  then  proposed  to  transfer 
the  miraculous  picture  to  a more  noted  church ; but  the 
rosary  mysteriously  changed  into  the  rose  which  may  be  seen 
to-day,  and  from  this  transformation  they  gathered  that  it 
was  the  Divine  Mother’s  will  to  remain  in  the  parish  of 
San  Bias. 

In  this  sisterhood,  inaugurated  for  the  service  and  honour 
of  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  the  members  promise : Firstly,  to 

endeavour  to  imitate  with  fervour  the  virtues  of  the  Most 
Holy  Virgin,  especially  her  profound  humility,  her  bnmacu- 
late  purity,  her  ardent  love  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  her  tender 
regard  for  her  neighbours.  Secondly,  to  di-aw  near  to  Our 
Lady  of  the  Good  Success  in  all  spiritual  and  temporal  needs, 
awaiting  with  firm  confidence  all  needed  protection  and  help 
from  her  maternal  heart.  Thirdly,  to  take  the  glorious  San 
Bias  for  their  especial  mediator  with  the  Queen  of  Heaven  and 
earth. 

1 Grammatically  this  phrase  may  refer  either  to  Jesus  or  His  Mother ; 
Imt  the  sentence  is  so  arranged  that  the  reader  naturally  supposes  it  said  of 
Mary. 


292 


THE  QUEEN  OF  HEAVEN 


The  following  prayer  to  the  miraculous  Virgin  of  the  Good 
Success  is  recommended  to  her  devotees ; — 

“ O Queen  of  Heaven  ! 0 Holy  Virgin  ! O august  Mother 
of  God ! Behold,  Lady  of  the  Good  Success,  this  group  of  thy 
devotees,  liow,  humblj'-  prostrated  at  thy  feet,  we  lift  to  thee 
our  moist  C3'^es.  Ah,  Lady ! We  are  poor  ci'eatures  that  come 
to  implore  thj^  protection  and  succour.  We  need  a guide  who 
shall  lead  us,  a light  that  shall  illumine  us,  a mother  who  shall 
instruct  us,  mercy  which  shall  shelter  us,  a medicine  which 
shall  heal  us,  joy  which  shall  tranquillize  us,  an  experienced 
mariner  who  shall  keep  us  from  dangerous  rocks  — and 
who  can  accomplish  this  better  than  thou,  Mother  of  the  Good 
Success  ? Thou  who  art  the  mother  of  uncreated  wisdom, 
the  principal  luminary  of  the  Church,  the  great  mistress  of 
all  thy  sons — fruit  of  thy  sorrow — the  universal  Mediator 
who  refuses  none,  the  panacea  for  all  infirmities  of  soul 
and  body,  the  sweet  consoler  of  those  in  affliction,  the  star 
which  saves  the  mariner  from  the  destructive  waves  of  the 
tempest ! 

“ In  thee,  after  Jesus,  0 Mother  of  the  Good  Success,  I place 
my  confidence.  I know  that  thou  wilt  be  m3"  protection  and 
the  defence  of  the  parish,  powerful  Virgin ! and  in  the  terrible 
trance  of  death,  when  the  infernal  dragon  makes  his  last  efforts 
to  destroy  my  soul,  come  thou  to  my  succour,  0 Mother  most 
loving ! Grant  me  final  preservation  ! 

“ Do  not  leave  me  a single  instant  until,  happy  with  thee,  I 
sing  thy  glories  and  the  compassion  of  tli3’^  Son  in  heaven,  for 
ever  and  ever.” 

Such  literature  gives  insight  into  the  religion  of  the  women 
of  Peru ; the  priest,  ever  using  the  figure  of  ideal  motherhood 
to  enthral  his  ignorant  flock,  leads  the  women,  and  they  lead 
the  men. 

But  Mary  is  not  merely  the  Goddess  of  the  common  people, 
she  is  their  favourite  idol.  The  following  questions  which  I 
put  to  the  old  .sacristan  of  the  church  at  Puno,  and  the  answers 


“ALL  DIFFERENT”  293 

he  gave,  will  serve  to  show  how  the  country  people  regard 
Mary’s  images : — 

“ What  are  all  these  images  ? ” 

“ Oh,  they  are  virgins ; that  is  the  Virgin  of  Perpetual 
Succour;  that  is  the  Virgin  of  Sorrows;  that  is  the  Seated 
Virgin.” 

“ Is  the  Mother  of  Jesus  here  ? ” (scratching  his  head 
dubiously  and  consulting  another  Indian). 

“No,  no!  there  is  no  Mother  of  Jesus  here.  But  perhaps 
— yes,  she  would  be  the  Virgin  of  the  Immaculate  Conception, 
who  is  above  the  high  altar.” 

“ Who  receives  the  chief  worship  in  your  church  ? Jesus  or 
His  Mother  ? Mary  or  our  Saviour  ? ” 

“ Oh,  the  Virgin  ! ” 

“ And  which  of  the  Virgins  is  the  greatest  ? ” 

“ It  must  be  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  because  she  is  placed  above 
the  high  altar,  over  all.” 

“ And  the  other  Virgins,  are  they  different  or  all  the  same  ? ” 

“ They  are  different,  all  of  them ; placed  in  the  church  for 
their  miracles.” 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  Aretpiipeha  press  of 
1904,  on  the  celebration  of  the  jubilee  of  the  “Dogmatic 
Declaration  of  Mary’s  Immaculate  Conception.” 

“ When  the  sacred  image  of  Mary  appeared  in  the  door 
of  the  Cathedral,  and  the  sun’s  rays  made  her  divine  face  more 
resplendent  than  itself — the  light  continually  changing  on  the 
silver  border  of  her  celestial  gown,  and  on  the  precious  stones 
which  formed  the  stars  of  her  crown — my  lieart  was  almost 
annihilated  by  her  beauty,  and  by  the  piety  of  the  15,000 
persons  of  all  nationalities  and  conditions,  who  prostrated 
themselves  before  the  image  and  rendered  her  religious 
worship. 

“ How  is  one  to  explain  the  inexplicable  emotion  which  the 
sight  of  this  sacred  image  produces  in  the  hearts  of  so  many 


294 


THEJ^QUEEN  OF  HEAVEN 

millions  of  people,  representing  both  our  nation  and  foreign 
countries  ? It  is  certainly  not  simply  the  perfection  of  its 
sculpturing.  No,  thus  say  both  heart  and  intelligence ! It 
is  the  divine  light  itself,  communicated  to  the  sacred  image 
from  heaven,  the  light  which  irradiates  the  souls  of  all  the 
truly  faithful,  and  gives  them  to  enjoy  something  of  the  delights 
of  heaven.  The  immense  crowd  prays  in  silence  because  it 
cannot  pronounce  even  one  word  before  such  beauty  and  majesty 
— truly  divine ! And  what  does  all  this  signify  ? As  I 
have  already  said,  it  is  the  light  of  heaven  reflected  on  the 
sacred  images  which  faithful  Catholics  venerate  with  religious 
worship.” 

Each  of  these  idols  has  its  own  name,  its  own  miraculous 
attributes,  and  its  own  devotees,  most  of  whom  have  probably 
never  heard  the  Gospel  story  of  Mary.  I have  read  the 
second  chapter  of  Luke  to  many  girls  and  women,  and  watched 
them  drink  in  with  wonder  the  story  that  is  old  to  the  children 
of  the  homeland.  This  Mary,  who  had  pains  and  joys  and 
duties  like  their  own,  was  a new  person  to  them.  They  had 
only  known  an  image — an  idol. 

The  Church  not  only  denies  the  Gospel  .stories  to  its  children, 
but  it  perverts  Scripture  to  impress  upon  them  the  greatness 
of  the  Virgin.  Above  the  door  of  the  Jesuit  Church  in  Cuzco 
are  these  words  : — 

“ Come  to  Mary,  all  who  are  burdened  and  weary  with  the 
weight  of  your  sins,  and  she  will  rest  you.” 

A picture  of  Our  Lady  of  Copacabana  lies  before  me,  and 
above  it  is  written  : — 

“We  have  seen  the  .star,  and  are  come  to  adore  her;"  and 
below : — 

“ Come  to  me  all  who  suffer,  and  I will  console  you.” 

In  a devotional  book  for  sale  at  Cuzco’s  weekly  fair,  I 
found  the  following  words : — 

“ Who  is  this  that  rises  from  the  desert,  overflowing  with 
delights?  It  is  Mary,  they  respond;  it  is  the  Mother  of  Jesus, 


PESO  DE  VUE5T  PECAD05 1 ELLA  05  ALiVIABA 


m 


■i 


9 IS 


^!lS|®f^^'.-  ;.nt 


VENID  A f^ARIATODOS  LOS  QUE  E5TAI5  CAH: 


DADOS  DE  TRABA JOS  ! AOOVIADOS  BAJO  EL^l 


y.Zi- 


“COME  TO  MARY,” 

This  photograph  was  taken  with  a telephoto  lens,  and  represents  a stone  above  the  side- 
door  of  the  Jesuit  Church  in  Cuzco.  The  words  below  it  are  : “ Come  to  Marv,  all  you 
wh.o  are  laden  with  works,  and  weary  beneath  the  weight  of  your  sins,  and  she  will 

alleviate  you." 


“OUR  LADY  OF  SOLITUDE”  295 

the  Queen  of  all  the  Saints.  Open  then,  Eternal  Doors,  and 
the  Queen  of  Glory  shall  enter ! ” 

The  teaching  of  the  Romish  Church  in  Peru  was  well 
expressed  by  the  Canon  at  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  when  he  said ; “ Mary  is  the  one  who,  through  all 
eternity,  has  issued  forth  from  the  mind  of  God  Himself — 
the  jobject  of  the  constant  petitions  and  invocations  of  the 
ancient  Patriarchs  and  of  the  prayers  of  the  prophets.  She 
shines  with  all  the  splendours  of  the  most  luminous  hope  in 
all  the  pages  of  the  Sacred  Bible  from  Genesis  to  the 
Apocalypse.  David  dedicates  his  harmonious  songs  to  her ; 
Jeremiah  his  profound  lamentations,  placing  in  her  his  hopes 
and  those  of  all  humanity ; Solomon  discovers  her  in  the  secrets 
of  divine  thought  and  celebrates  the  mutual  love  which  exists 
between  her  and  God ; Isaiah  reveals  her  as  the  symbol  of  a 
new  life,  of  a gi’and  era,  like  the  early  dawn  of  the  day 
immortal  to  our  religion.” 

Oh,  that  the  priests  and  people  of  Peru,  like  Father 
Chiniquy,  would  search  and  see  whether  or  not  these  things 
are  so ! In  his  life-story  the  Father  tells  us  that  when  he 
studied  the  Gospels  he  found  nothing  about  Our  Lady  of 
Intercession ; the  Evangelists  made  it  clear  that  Christ,  not 
Mary,  came  to  save  the  world ; that  in  the  days  when  Jesus 
and  His  mother  lived  on  earth  sinners  went  directly  to  Him 
without  imploring  her  intercession.  If,  then,  Mary  had  not 
in  heaven  assumed  the  power  which  Christ  had  lost,  the 
Father  reasoned,  then  Jesus  was  still  the  best  friend,  and 
Catholics  were  mistaken  in  going  for  salvation  to  one  infinitely 
less  powerful. 

In  the  theology  and  sacred  history  of  Peruvian  Catholics 
Mary  is  made  essential  to  Christianity,  and  instead  of  conduct- 
ing her  devotees  to  Christ,  she  is  allowed  to  usurp  His  place 
in  their  hearts.  This  is  illustrated  by  Friar  Leon’s  vision,  in 
which  he  saw  two  ladders.  All  who  tried  to  ascend  the  red 
one,  at  the  head  of  wliich  stood  our  Saviour,  fell ; but  those 


296 


THE  QUEEN  OF  HEAVEN 


who  accepted  the  help  of  Our  Lady  ascended  into  heaven  with 
ease  by  her  white  ladder. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  in  Lima  is  called  “ Our 
Lady  of  Solitude.”  The  building  has  inlaid  floors  and  a dado 
of  mosaic  work ; its  doors  are  of  old  cedar,  and  its  interior  lit 
with  electric  light.  On  first  entering  the  nave,  however,  one 
notices  none  of  these  beauties;  all  eyes  are  fascinated  by  the 
figure  over  the  high  altar.  In  the  subdued  light  of  the  church 
a beautiful  Virgin  is  visible ; a halo  of  electric  light  surrounds 
her  head ; silver  ornaments  hang  about  her  pui’ple  robe ; and 
over  all  a gauze  veil  is  spread,  before  it  hanging  two  coloured 
lamps  wreathed  in  flowers.  The  effect  of  the  distant  figure, 
ethereal  light  surrounding  its  lovely  face  and  shining  through 
the  gauzy  curtain,  is  mystical  and  exquisite.  We  are  in  the 
presence  of  Peru’s  goddess ! 

Images  of  Mary  surround  us.  Joseph  and  Mary,  each 
with  large  gold  crowns  on  their  heads,  and  between  them  the 
Child  Jesus  in  a red  silk  fx’ock  with  gold  trimming  and  a lace 
collar ; Mary  in  black,  with  the  cuffs  and  collar  of  a deaconess ; 
Mary  dressed  as  a Limeha  with  a lace  mantilla ! Everywhere 
are  images  of  the  Virgin  ! 

Below  the  chui'ch  is  a strangely  impressive  vault ; as  we 
stand  on  this  historic  spot,  not  far  from  the  resting-place  of 
old  ecclesiastics,  we  are  indeed  in  a place  of  death.  In  the 
opposite  wall  is  a recess  where  lies  a glass  coffin,  enclosing  a 
wounded  body.  Above  it  are  beautiful  angels,  and  through 
a window  appears  a distant  green  hill  surmounted  by  three 
lonely  crosses.  Daylight  is  faint  on  the  scene,  but  in  the 
vault  itself  pitiless  electric  lamps  blaze  down  upon  the  corpse. 

This  is  the  Christ  of  Peru — of  the  land  where  Christ  is 
dead ! On  the  opposite  wall  is  a cast  of  the  Virgin’s  head  in 
cold  coloured  plaster,  and  below  it  the  striking  words — 

“ Is  it  nothing  to  you,  all  ye  that  pass  by  ? 

Behold,  and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  My  sorrow  ! ” 

Tlius  we  see  that  ^lary  is  worshipped  as  the  IMother  of 


MARY,  NOT  CHRIST  ! 


297 


God,  and  honoured  with  feasts,  processions,  and  pilgrimages. 
The  many  figures  made  of  her  i-epresent  only  ideal  motherhood 
to  the  ignorant  masses  who  have  no  knowledge  of  the  historic 
personality  of  Mary  of  Nazareth,  but  believe  the  Bible,  which 
they  have  never  seen,  to  be  almost  exclusively  about  her. 

This  goddess  usurps  the  place  of  our  Lord.  Mary,  not 
Christ,  is  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  for  she  “ gave  life  to  all 
sinners  on  Calvary.”  Mary,  not  Christ,  is  the  overcomer  of 
the  devil,  for  the  Church  tells  us  that  “she  shall  bruise  the 
serpent’s  head.”  Mary,  not  Christ,  is  the  object  of  our  chief 
worship,  and  our  intercessor  before  the  throne  of  God. 

No  longer  is  there  need  for  the  Sun  of  Righteousness, 
for  Mary  is  “ as  the  sun  in  the  firmament  ” ; no  more  will  men 
seek  the  balm  of  Gilead  and  the  Great  Physician,  for  Mary 
is  “ a medicine  which  shall  heal  us — a panacea  for  all  infirmities 
of  soul  and  body  ” ; man  is  not  now  dependent  on  the  Com- 
forter, for  he  may  find  all  the  tender  compassion  of  maternal 
love  in  Our  Lady  of  Consolation. 

Every  prerogative  of  Christ  is  invaded,  every  power  shared. 
His  miracles  become  less  wonderful  in  that  Mary  also  was 
born  without  sin  and  ascended  to  heaven  without  seeing  death. 
The  very  virtue  of  His  Atonement  is  taken  from  Him  and  laid 
at  Mary’s  feet,  for  the  ignorant  Peruvians  are  taught  to  pray 
not  to  Him  who  would  give  them  “ power  to  become  the  sons 
of  God,”  but  to  Mary,  “ the  great  mistress  of  all  her  sons — 
fruit  of  her  sorrows.” 

This  is  a further  step  in  the  materialization  of  Christianity : 
instead  of  Christ  we  are  given  a miraculous  idol ; in  the  richest 
fields  of  Gospel  truth  we  find  only  spiritual  starvation. 


Chapter  XXVII. — The  Keswick  of  Peru — 

How  I played  the  role  of  pilyrim  to  a famous  shrine — 
Something  about  the  ways  and  wearing -apparel  of  my  fellow- 
pilgrims — Copacahana  by  moonlight — Night  reveries  in  a shed 
crotvded  with  devotees — Berwentwater  or  Titicaca  ? 


{ 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 

“ All  that  we  saw  at  Copacabaua,  whether  the  image,  the  worship,  the 
hull-fight,  or  the  dances,  brought  us  face  to  face  with  paganism.” 

John  Ritchie. 

I AM  playing  the  role  of  pilgrim  ; ^ for  the  present  I am  a devotee 
of  the  most  famous  Virgin  in  Peru.  I am  bound  for  the 
home  of  great  Manco,  for  the  birthplace  of  the  Inca’s  dynasty ; 
for  the  “ Island  of  the  Sun,”  and  “ Coati,”  sacred  to  the  moon  ; 
for  Copacabana,  the  oldest  shrine  in  Peru. 

The  S.S.  Coya  should  have  left  Puno  half  an  hour  ago,  but 
still  the  pilgrims  crowd  on  board,  and  all  is  confusion.  The 
gangway  consists  of  a solitary  plank,  at  one  end  of  which  stands 
our  smart  little  Peruvian  captain,  shaking  hands  with  the 
visitors  who  come  on  board.  An  Indian  soldier,  in  his  long 
monk-like  robe,  is  handing  women  over  the  plank  from  the 
wharf.  Kechua,  Aymarfi,  Spanish,  and  English,  mingle  in 
strange  confusion,  and  lose  themselves  in  the  shrieks  of  a loco- 
motive which  has  just  come  alongside. 

“ Apura ! Usccayta ! ” (Hurry  up  ! Hurry  up  !) 

Some  Bolivian  Cholitas  are  being  handed  over  the  plank. 
They  are  poor,  and  must  travel  with  the  steerage  passengers, 
but  what  of  that  ? 

“ With  care,  Celestine ! ” and  the  soldier  at  the  farther  end 
of  the  plank  is  wonderfully  willing  to  take  the  pretty  maiden’s 
hand  and  lead  her  safely  into  the  Coya.  Then  comes  Celestine’s 

* This  chapter  is  largely  taken  from  my  diary,  written  at  Copacabana. 

3OJ 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


302 

mother,  with  her  faded  shawl,  and  a skirt  no  longer  than  an 
English  girl’s  gymnastic  costume,  her  shabby  little  felt  hat,  and 
French  boots  with  their  worn  heels.  But  she  cares  not  about 
these  things,  for  Celestine  wears  a full  new  magenta  skirt  of 
the  fashionable  knee-length,  and  a beautiful  blue  shawl.  There 
are  aunts  and  muchachas  to  follow,  but  at  last  they  are  all 
safelj^  on  board  with  their  bundles  of  clothes,  candles,  bi’eads, 
and  domestic  utensils. 

“ Hamuy  ! Apura  ! ” (Come ! Hurry  up  !) 

A Peruvian  lady  is  coming  aboard — a girl  with  a huge  hat, 
trailing  a spotted  veil  to  the  wind,  a showy  jacket,  and  a 
common  little  red  chatelaine  bag.  The  senora  is  hardly  landed 
on  the  deck  when  .she  flings  herself  into  the  arms  of  a gentleman 
in  the  crowd. 

“ Como  estd  ? ” she  murmurs  rapturously,  with  the  licpiid 
modulation  which  only  a Peruvian  voice  can  adopt. 

“How  touching,”  you  observe,  “the  meeting  of  a young 
hu.sband  and  wife  who  have  been  separated  some  months ! ” 
But  one  who  knows  Peru  will  smile,  for  there  is  no  relation 
between  these  two  young  people  now  clasped  in  each  other’s 
arms.  They  are  probably  only  slight  acquaintances,  and  their 
greeting  means  no  more  than  an  English  handshake,  accompanied 
by  “ How  do  you  do  ? ” 

“ Apura  ! Hamuy  ! ” 

Our  friend  the  superintendent  of  the  port  is  coming  on 
board.  He  is  tall  for  a Peruvian,  though  not  so  tall  as  I.  His 
little  French  beard,  and  the  great  soiled  collar  which  envelops 
him  up  to  his  ears,  are  typical  of  his  class.  He  is  well-informed, 
however,  and  after  the  customary  greetings  in  Spanish  he  goes 
below  to  secure  a cabin  for  me. 

We  are  an  hour  behindhand.  “ Apura  ! Usccayta  ! ” 

The  stern  is  completely  full,  but  still  pilgrims  cross  the 
gangway,  and  children,  mothers,  and  animals  are  piled  on  the 
top  of  one  another — all  contented,  all  expectant,  all  wonderfully 
strange  and  interesting  to  European  eyes ! There  is  an  old,  old 


MY  FELLOW-PILGRIMS 


303 


man,  who  is  lying  full  length  upon  the  great  poncho  bundles 
which  his  daughter  has  dragged  together  as  a bed  for  him. 
There  is  a family  of  Indians — the  mother  with  plaits  as  black 
as  her  little  felt  hat,  a green  reboso,  and  bai-e  feet  beneath  her 
short  skirt.  A fat  little  Indian  baby  sits  by  her,  Ins  small  round 
head  enclo.sed  in  the  quaintest  little  white  cap,  with  ear-flaps 
tied  under  his  chin.  The  male  passengers  are  dark- faced  and 
unshaven,  like  most  natives  of  the  Sierra,  and  muffled  in  vicuna 
shawls.  Some  of  the  women  wear  cotton  dresses ; they  are  “ gente 
decente,”  and  consider  themselves  far  superior  to  the  Cholitas 
in  their  full  warm  skirts  and  shawls.  Look  at  that  woman, 
seated  on  a pile  of  wraps  and  bundles,  surrounded  by  several 
little  ones  all  under  five  years  of  age.  Her  straw  hat,  with  its 
pink  ribbon  and  unmanageable  ostrich  feather,  has  taken  up  a 
rakish  position  on  one  side  of  her  forehead ; her  hair,  arrayed 
in  Peruvian  style,  with  a total  lack  of  arrangement,  is  gradually 
losing  the  combs,  which  seem  to  have  dropped  into  it  by 
chance.  She  is  untidy,  and  careless  of  the  children,  and  she 
sits  there  unconscious  of  our  criticism,  as  blissfully  happy 
and  lost  in  the  bustle  around  as  the  black-eyed  girlie  at  her 
side. 

“ Oh  dear  ! Poor  little  one  ! ” 

A fat  old  lady  in  black,  clasping  an  antique  umbrella,  has 
nearly  crushed  all  breath  from  one  small  son,  who  is  still  in  the 
position  of  a cushion  beneath  the  solid  anatomy  of  the  stout 
dame.  But  the  anxiety  is  passing;  Gorge  is  rescued,  and  the 
mother  resumes  her  smiling  observation,  at  peace  with  all  the 
world. 

The  officials  at  the  gangway  are  eager  to  be  gone.  “ Apura  ! 
Usccayta  !”  An  Indian  woman  runs  barefoot  across  the  plank  ; 
little  boys  tumble  over  it  for  the  last  time;  and  then  we 
cast  off,  and  the  colours  on  the  wharf  begin  to  mingle  in  the 
distance. 

We  are  away  at  last ! Puno  lies  in  the  shadow  of  the  hills, 
as  grey  as  the  lake  we  are  crossing.  Only  the  balsas,  floating  idly 


304 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


on  the  smooth  water,  catch  the  morning  sun,  and  cast  yellow 
reflections  on  the  lake. 

Out  from  the  reedy  shore  into  waters  which  sparkle  in  the 
sunshine ; past  the  little  homes  of  the  lake-side,  scarcely  dis- 
tinguishable from  the  rocks ; past  the  headland  where  Chucuito 
stretches  down  to  the  lake  ; out  of  the  Bay  of  Puno  the  Goya 
steamed  towards  distant  hazy  cloud-banks,  and  a line  of  blue- 
grey  which  marks  the  Bolivian  shore. 

The  first-class  passengers  are  taking  coflee  in  the  saloon ; 
one  old  lady  is  anxiously  seeking  a cabin,  for  she  knows  she  will 
be  sea-sick ; two  gentlemen  are  leaning  over  the  deck-rail 
trying,  in  spite  of  the  glassy  water,  to  imagine  the  same  pos- 
sibility. Cholita  servants  sit  in  all  the  corners  of  the  steamer 
nursing  fat  Peruvian  babies ; rugs  and  shawls  are  produced, 
and  Indians  put  on  their  knitted  caps  and  ponchos,  for  a fresh 
breeze  is  blowing ; and  a wondering  ci’owd  gathers  round  the 
gringa  to  see  that  strange  pen  move  with  its  marvellous  ease 
and  rapidity  over  the  paper.  But  as  we  steam  over  the  sunlit 
waters,  and  I look  at  the  fascinating  crowd  around  me,  I see 
them  not ; and  my  pen  gradually  slackens,  for  I am  dreaming 
of  the  days  that  are  gone  : — when  these  fields  on  the  lake-side 
were  sown  by  the  Incas’  subjects ; when  the  spirit  of  the  grey 
lake  was  worshipped  as  god  of  the  Indians  ; when  its  waters  had 
never  been  desecrated  by  machinery  from  Hull  and  Glasgow. 

In  those  days  pilgrims  were  purified  and  prepared  at 
Copacabana  for  their  visit  to  the  Island  of  the  Sun  ; they  were 
devotees  of  Inti  and  his  queen,  the  moon ; they  cx’ossed  the 
grey  lake  in  balsas ; they  sang  their  strange  Kechua  songs  to 
the  music  of  the  peaceful  wavelets,  and  saw  divinity  in  all  that 
was  strong  or  beautiful  about  them — in  the  sun,  the  moon,  the 
thunder,  the  rainbow,  the  hills,  the  rivei’s,  and  in  the  mysterious 
cradle, of  their  Empire’s  greatness — Lake  Titicaca! 

In  the  afternoon  sunshine,  Titicaca  was  like  a deep-coloured 
sapphire,  set  in  the  pale  enamel  of  surrounding  hills.  They 


“REEDS  AND  RUSHES” 


305 


were  drought-stricken  and  scorched  with  the  dry  season,  but  the 
clouds  seemed  to  be  gathering  about  them,  as  if  to  hide  their 
bareness ; and  through  the  white  masses,  and  towering  above 
their  billowy  castles,  the  glittering  peaks  of  Mt.  Sorata  rose. 

The  bleak  grey  shore  of  the  Island  of  the  Sun  lay  behind  us, 
and  the  Coya  was  steaming  towards  a small  bay  in  the 
peninsular  which  lies  to  the  south-east  of  Titicaca.  On  the 
slope  of  the  shore  before  us  was  Copacabana,  with  its  four 
strange  hills  standing  like  sentinels,  two  on  each  side  of  the 
town.  The  snow  mountains  were  lost  to  sight  now,  and  only  a 
rocky  purple  range  towered  over  the  smooth  green  hills.  The 
Cathedral  of  Copacabana,  with  its  many  domes,  was  visible 
against  the  sky-line,  and  a narrow  road  ran  down  from  the 
thatched  houses  clustered  around  it,  to  the  lake-side. 

The  Coya  was  impatient;  this  being  Bolivian  territory,  her 
passengers  could  not  be  landed  before  the  port  captain  had 
come  on  board.  But  he  was  drunk,  and  so  the  Coya  whistled 
and  hooted  in  vain,  and  the  hills  around  answered  her  with  a 
mocking  echo. 

Meanwhile  red  figures  were  hurrying  down  the  road,  and 
the  little  landing-stage  built  out  into  the  lake  was  soon 
crowded.  But  though  brilliant  poncho  colours  speckled  the 
road  and  hillside,  no  captain  appeared,  and  still  we  waited. 

“ Drunk,  as  usual ! ” said  our  captain  angrily,  and  the  Coya 
siren  hooted  so  loudly  and  .shrilly  that  we  were  all  nearly 
deafened. 

A halsa  was  floating  lazily  among  the  green  reeds  of  the 
lake  shore,  and  a rowing  boat  from  the  Coya  lay  at  the  foot  of 
the  steps  awaiting  the  captain  of  the  port.  At  last  we  saw 
him  leave  the  landing-stage,  and  in  a few  minutes  we  had 
said  good-bye  to  the  steamer’s  officers,  and  were  climbing  down 
the  ladder  with  our  numerous  bundles. 

Over  the  smooth  blue  water,  past  trembling  reeds  we 
floated,  up  to  the  stone  steps  and  the  pebble  walls  of  the  wharf, 

where  crowds  were  gathered  to  see  us  land  I There  were 
20 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


306 

Cholitas  from  La  Paz  seated  on  the  wall,  all  smart  in  new 
“ Maria  ” shawls,  gold  ear-rings,  and  little  white  straw  hats ; 
there  were  young  fellows  hanging  about  the  flagpost  making 
remarks  on  the  new  arrivals;  there  were  well-dressed  girls 
from  La  Paz,  with  painted  faces  and  huge  picture  hats,  who 
leant  over  the  wall  to  examine  us ; there  were  Bolivian  Indians 
in  orange  or  brown  ponchos,  with  their  Turkish  hats  and  false 
hair  fringes;  there  were  Peruvian  Indians  in  shapeless  felts 
and  rough  red  ponchos ; there  were  dirty  little  childi*en  and 
well-dressed  men,  Franciscan  monks,  and  Cholas  from  all  parts 
of  the  Sierra. 

We  were  amused  to  hear  the  criticisms  passed  as  we  climbed 
the  stone  steps,  and  made  our  way  through  the  crowd : “ A 

gringa  ! Look  ! What  a height ! Do  you  think  she  is  French 
or  English  or  German  ? ” 

Daylight  was  already  fading,  and  most  of  the  passengers 
went  straight  to  the  village  ; a few  sat  down  in  the  dusty  road 
to  wait  for  friends ; others  piled  their  luggage  on  the  seats  of 
the  mud  shed  near  the  lake ; and  some  disappeared  into  the 
gathering  darkness  to  seek  lodgings.  While  one  of  our  own 
number  was  house-hunting,  we  sat  on  a wall  and  watched  the 
lessening  crowd  on  the  landing-stage,  and  the  dying  light  over 
the  grey  lake.  To  our  right  a steep  rocky  headland  called 
Calvaria  (Calvary)  rose  from  the  water’s  edge,  leaving  a dark 
jagged  reflection  on  its  smooth  surface.  The  reeds  showed 
green  against  the  shadow,  and  the  western  sky  beyond  a faint 
rose.  On  the  horizon  the  sun  was  a blazing  circle,  and  the  pale 
cloudlets  above  it  golden-edged. 

The  few  remaining  pilgrims  stood  blackly  now  against  the 
sky ; the  hill  had  darkened,  and  the  stars  were  visible  far  above 
us,  but  the  western  sky  was  crimson  still  against  the  deep 
ultramarine  of  the  lake. 

Ah  ! We  can  recognize  the  gringo  gait  of  our  missionary 
friend  even  in  the  darkne.ss,  and  are  glad  of  his  return,  for  we 
are  getting  both  hungry  and  cold. 


STAR-LIGHT 


307 


“ What  luck  ? ” 

“ Not  a room  of  any  kind  to  be  had ! The  town  is  in 
darkness,  and  nobody  has  leisure  enough  to  answer  our 
questions  civilly.  The  only  thing  is  for  us  to  sleep  here  ! ” 

“ Well,  things  might  be  worse  ! Let  us  engage  a corner  of 
that  hut  before  it  is  full.” 

So  we  put  our  packages  on  a mud  seat  in  the  shed,  which 
was  open  on  the  side  overlooking  the  lake;  and  it  was  not 
long  before  bread  had  been  purchased,  tea  made,  potted  meat 
and  cheese  produced,  and  various  bundles  converted  into  seats. 
We  did  justice  to  the  dinner,  and,  when  I had  washed 
up,  were  ready  for  further  adventures  before  bed.  So  while 
one  stayed  to  guard  the  luggage,  two  of  us  started  for  the 
town. 

Imagine  us — stumbling  up  the  roughest  of  roads,  through 
smells  only  equalled  in  Cuzco,  past  other  pilgrims  hurrying 
through  the  darkness  ! We  have  reached  the  great  cobbled 
plaza,  having  left  the  stillness  of  the  murmuring  lake-side  for 
the  hubbub  of  a crowd,  and  the  light  of  the  starlit  hills  for  the 
hundred  candles  and  lamps  of  the  pilgrims’  booths. 

So  this  is  the  Keswick  of  Peru,  Copacabana ! A bull-fight 
is  just  over,  and  the  barricades  of  the  ring  have  been  taken 
down ; the  reed  huts  around  us,  lit  by  flickering  candles  and 
flaring  pots  of  oil,  are  crowded  with  excited  pilgrims.  Charcoal 
fires  glow  in  mud  ovens  and  earthenware  dishes ; Indian 
women  stir  black  chupi  pots  with  big  wooden  spoons;  Indians 
gamble  with  twenty-cent  pieces  round  the  revolving  toy  of  an 
enterprising  native.  All  is  movement ! 

Dark  against  the  star-strewn  sky  stand  the  towers  of  the 
cathedral.  We  climb  the  steps  and  enter,  by  an  archway,  the 
great  open  space  before  the  building.  On  our  right  a dome 
looms  through  the  darkness,  and  beneath  it  stand  three  crosses. 
Indian  women  sit  in  a row  near  the  cathedral  steps,  and  by  the 
dim  light  of  a paper-covered  lantern  we  see  that  they  are  selling 
candles  for  image  worship. 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


308 

“ English  strangers  ! Pilgrims  to  Copacabana  ! Devotees 
of  the  famous  Virgin ! Yet  they  buy  not  candles  to  place 
before  her  shrine,  nor  do  they  kneel  at  the  sight  of  the  great 
altar.  Bare-headed  and  in  silence  they  move  over  the  matting ; 
doubtless  they  are  looking  for  the  Blessed  Virgin  of  Copacabana, 
not  knowing  that  she  is  covered  in  her  niche  above  the  high 
altai'.  Strange  pilgrims  these ! They  have  scarcely  looked  at 
the  many  magnificent  and  gracious  virgins  which  surround 
them.  At  what  is  it  they  are  gazing  in  that  dark  alcove  at 
the  back  of  the  church  ? Jesus  Maria ! ” (equivalent  to  our 
exclamation,  “ Good  gracious  ! ”)  “ It  is  a common  crucifix,  with 

neither  beauty  nor  interest!  What  is  it  that  makes  them 
stand  still  so  long  yonder,  looking  sadly  before  them  ? Perhaps 
the  Blessed  Vix’gin  has  sent  them  contrition  of  heart,  or  a vision 
of  the  future,  or  a revelation  of  her  sufferings.  Ah,  Maria 
Dolorosa ! For  of  a surety  there  is  naught  to  be  seen  yonder  ; 
there  are  tables  of  candles  burning  before  the  Blessed  Virgins ! 
Behold  what  devotion ! The  tables  are  covered,  many  candles 
have  fallen,  and  their  grease  pours  over  and  drops  to  the 
floor  I There  is  a crowd  of  Indians,  pilgrims  from  some 
mountain  village,  but  let  us  move  farther  from  them.  Bestias ! 
(beasts !)  Nevertheless,  they  also  are  devotees  of  our  Blessed 
Lady ; see  their  rapturous  smiles,  their  tears  also  ! They  are 
overcome  by  the  Holiest  Mary’s  beauty  ! ” 

The  great  building  is  very  dark ; only  the  candles  before 
the  altar  light  the  many  gaudy  virgins  around,  and  the  brilliant 
tinsel  and  gauze  with  which  the  building  is  draped.  The  Indians 
have  picked  up  their  hats,  crossed  themselves,  and  silently  gone 
out ; many  of  the  devout  are  sitting  about  still ; children  are 
wrapped  up  for  the  night’s  sleep ; babies  are  having  their 
evening  meal ; women  arc  (piietly  chatting,  and  a few  young 
men  are  standing  about  watching  our  movexnents  with  interest. 

But  come  away  ! Out  into  the  wonderful  Temple  of  Nature, 
built  by  the  Creator  Himself — wliex’e  xxight  hangs  the  walls 
with  her  wondrous  blue-black  curtains ; wdiere  “ xvngels  wait. 


“NO  ROOM  IN  THE  INN” 


309 


with  stars  for  tapers  tall  ” ; where  the  music  which  echoes 
through  the  dome  of  space,  audible  only  to  ears  tuned  to  the 
Divine,  is  the  praise  which  has  been  offered  in  all  ages,  the  praise 
which  shall  never  cease. 

“ Bless  the  Lord,  ye  his  angels  that  excel  in  strength, 
that  do  His  commandment,  hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  His 
word. 

“ Bless  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  His  hosts ; ye  ministers  of  His 
that  do  His  pleasure. 

“ Bless  the  Lord,  all  His  works,  in  all  places  of  His  dominion. 
Bless  the  Lord,  O my  soul.” 

Many  of  our  fellow-passengers  were  more  fortunate  than 
we,  having  found  accommodation  in  the  guest-house  of  Copaca- 
bana.  As  we  walked  through  its  courtyard  my  thoughts 
turned  to  another  night  when  for  other  pilgrims  there  was 
“ no  room  in  the  inn,”  and  I wondered  if  this  scene  at  all  re- 
sembled that  of  the  memorable  night  in  Bethlehem  nearly  two 
thousand  years  ago. 

A dim  oil-lamp  hung  from  the  entrance  of  the  patio,  casting 
an  uncertain  glamour  over  the  surrounding  verandah  and  the 
rooms  above  its  arches.  Reed  mats  had  been  hung  between 
some  of  the  pillars,  converting  the  portales  into  a series  of  small 
rooms.  Candles  flickered  through  the  yellow  matting,  some- 
times revealing  Indian  families  asleep  on  the  straw.  Poncho- 
clad  figures  were  preparing  for  rest  on  the  flag-stones  beneath 
the  colonnade ; mules  and  horses  were  feeding  in  the  yard ; 
an  Indian  band  was  serenading  the  visitors  in  general ; and 
over  all  the  noisy  bustle  a calm  starlit  sky  was  watching. 

When  we  returned  to  the  shore,  all  colour  had  gone  from 
the  lake,  and  the  jagged  rocks  of  Calvario  threw  an  inky  black 
shadow  on  the  dark  water.  Faint  silver  moonbeams,  newly 
born,  were  playing  with  the  black  wavelets ; and  faint  in  the 
distance,  like  angels’  tears  glistening  in  their  fall  through  space> 
the  stars  were  shining. 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


310 

Our  hotel  was  a tile-roofed  shed,  with  three  mud  walls,  and 
arches  on  the  west,  which  looked  out  over  the  lake.  The  floor 
was  very  dusty  and  dirty,  and  already  several  men  and  half  a 
dozen  women  had  occupied  beds  on  it.  We  spread  a rug  over 
the  rough  dried  mud,  crawled  into  our  sleeping  bags,  and  lay 
down,  trying  to  guard  our  packages  between  us.  It  was  almost 
impossible  to  avoid  robbery  at  the  feast,  so  a Chola  told  us. 
She  was  interested  in  the  gringos,  and  her  questions  soon  drew 
every  one  in  the  room  into  the  conversation.  Although  we  were 
very  tired,  their  chatter  was  interesting ; and  when  they  found 
that  our  answers  grew^  more  and  more  sleepy,  they  gradually 
forgot  us,  and  the  conversation  amongst  themselves  turned  to 
many  subjects,  the  most  congenial  of  which  seemed  to  be 
“ alcohol.” 

A woman  from  La  Paz  had  a long  story  to  tell  about  her 
past  experiences  in  judging  spirits,  and  about  the  astutene.ss 
with  which  she  had  astonished  the  seller  in  Copacabana  who 
traded  in  diluted  alcohol.  Her  bottle  still  contained  good 
drink,  and  the  company  were  assured  that  if  they  would  test 
its  quality  the  owner  would  bo  gratified.  So  wine-glasses 
were  passed  round,  and  each  person  oftered  profuse  thanks  in 
a long  and  elaborate  Peruvian  speech.  One  woman  expressed 
her  gratitude  in  the  name  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  saying  that 
though  she  had  come  to  the  Feast  solely  to  oft'er  devotions  at 
the  shrine  of  the  Holy  Mary,  yet  she  Avould  thankfully  accept 
a glass. 

So  the  conversation  drifted  on,  and  I slept  and  sleepily 
listened  by  turns.  Soon  after  midnight,  when  partial  silence 
had  fallen  upon  the  company,  and  some  of  the  pilgrims  were 
snoring,  heavy  footsteps  were  heard  approaching  the  shed,  and 
two  men  entered,  noisy  and  excited  with  dx’ink. 

The  sleepers  were  soon  awakened,  alcohol  passed  round 
again  and  again,  and  the  conversation  sank  to  the  level  of  the 
evil  drunkards.  Shameful  subjects  were  discussed  with  all 
the  elaborate  conventionalities  of  Spanish  conversation.  But 


THE  ALABASTER  CROSS 


311 

at  last  men  and  women  parted  with  an  arrangement  to  meet 
on  the  morrow,  and  once  more  silence  fell  in  the  room. 

By  morning,  the  plaza,  bright  with  Indian  clothes,  is 
characteristic  of  a Penivian  market — women  with  soft  felt 
hats  or  with  rebosos  on  their  heads,  short  skirts,  and  bare  feet — 
women  with  old  withered  features,  or  pleasant  brown  faces — 
all  types  of  Indian  womanhood  are  here.  They  sit  in  the  dust 
with  their  wares  laid  out  on  cloths  in  front  of  them,  and  look 
with  interest  after  us,  or  call  us  to  buy  their  bread  and 
pop-corn,  their  fingers  meanwhile  ceaselessly  employed  with 
knittinor. 

o 

As  we  enter  the  town  a virgin  is  being  carried  round  the 
plaza,  and  men  and  women  stand  bare-headed  until  she  passes 
from  sight. 

Morning  sunshine  is  glancing  on  the  green  and  yellow  tiles 
of  the  cathedral  domes,  and  lighting  up  the  great  block  of 
ecclesiastical  buildings  which  towers  above  us.  We  pass  be- 
neath a lofty  arch,  through  a heavy  iron  gate  wrought  in  Spain, 
into  the  walled  square  fronting  the  cathedral.  At  each  corner 
of  the  court  is  a substantial  brick  structure  closed  by  iron 
doors,  wherein  are  kept  the  bones  of  pilgrims  who  have  died 
at  Copacabana.  Quinua  trees  and  bushes  bearing  the  brilliant 
trumpet-shaped  flor-dd-Inca  are  around  us.  Watch  the  poor 
people  crawl  round  the  three  immense  alabaster  crosses  beneath 
this  elaborate  dome  ! That  Indian  is  commencing  his  pilgrimage 
at  the  base ; that  woman  has  crawled  on  her  bare  knees  to  the 
fourth  step ; that  little  boy  is  kissing  the  cross  before  he  puts 
on  his  ragged  hat  again  and  goes  into  the  cathedral.  We  enter 
with  him,  and  at  the  door  meet  some  Indian  dancers.  They 
are  dressed  in  white  dancing-skirts  and  huge  feather  hats ; but 
before  they  enter  the  building  the  latter  are  laid  aside,  and 
they  stretch  themselves  in  the  dust,  knocking  their  heads  on 
the  ground  and  kissing  the  cathedral  steps. 

The  high  building  is  so  dark  that  we  can  scarcely  distinguish 


312 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


the  elaborate  ornaments  of  its  altars,  and  the  musty  paintings 
of  saints  which  line  its  ancient  walls. 

Listen  to  the  continuous  wailing ! Before  the  virgins  which 
stand  under  their  gold  canopies,  surrounded  by  glittering  stars 
and  gaudy  flowers,  a poor  woman  is  lying.  She  bows  her 
head  to  the  ground,  and  her  wails  echo  round  the  cathedral 
walls. 

This  morning  the  Virgin  of  Copacabana  is  uncovered,  and  we 
look  with  interest  at  the  little  image,  scarcely  more  than  three 
feet  tall,  which  is  indistinct  in  the  light  of  the  candles  burn- 
ing around  it,  and  of  its  own  glittering  raiment  and  jewels. 
The  features  are  not  those  of  a Jewish  madonna,  nor  of  a 
Spanish  beauty.  They  are  Indian — the  ideal  conception  of  a 
poor  descendant  of  the  Incas,  who  gave  to  the  world  his  life, 
his  soul,  his  all,  in  this  figure  of  the  Virgin. 

We  pass  on  with  a crowd  towards  the  Camarin  (little  room) 
behind  the  altar,  that  there  we  may  obtain  a nearer  view  of 
the  image.  Notice  the  monks  Ave  are  passing,  their  faces, 
alas,  too  typical  of  their  profession ! They  are  Franciscans. 
One  is  short  and  fat;  doubtless  at  the  best  he  has  no  neck, 
but  in  his  monk’s  robe,  neck,  chin,  and  ears  are  lost  in  the 
stiff  cowl  of  his  brown  dress.  All  else  that  is  visible  of  him 
is  a round,  closely  shaven  head,  with  its  bald  circle  at  the 
back,  a fat  face,  with  cunning  little  eyes,  unshaven  cheeks, 
and  a heavy,  sensual  mouth.  His  companion  is  a tall,  lean 
man,  with  something  of  the  air  of  an  Italian  brigand,  conveyed 
partly  by  his  dark,  evil  eyes,  partly  by  his  strong,  crooked  nose, 
and  partly  by  the  mysterious  effect  of  the  muffler  wliich  hides 
the  rest  of  his  face. 

The  door  behind  them  leads  into  the  patio  of  the  monastery. 
How  quiet  it  is ! The  movement  of  the  trees,  the  echoes  on 
the  stone  verandah,  the  light  which  enters  the  surrounding 
cells  by  barred  windows — all  seem  strangely  subdued. 

A cura  who  travelled  with  us  on  the  Coya  is  passing. 

“ Well,  what  do  you  think  of  the  cathedral  ? ” he  asks. 


THE  CATHEDRAL  OF  COPACABANA. 


“HOLY  WATER”  313 

“Pretty?  Yes,  perhaps  ilie  first  timel”  and  his  tall,  black- 
robed  figure  passes  into  the  quiet  convent. 

Mass  is  Just  over,  and  the  ofiiciating  priests  are  divesting 
themselves  of  their  robes  in  an  anteroom.  One  old  man, 
with  a comic  face  which  not  even  monastic  life  has  subdued, 
is  struggling  out  of  a lace  garment  in  the  shape  of  a night- 
shirt, when  several  men  and  women  enter  with  bundles  of  green 
stuff  which  they  wish  blessed  before  being  made  into  crosses. 
The  holy  man  slu'ugs  his  shoulders  with  the  air  of  a conjurer 
who  is  amused  at  his  own  trick,  wriggles  into  the  priestly 
garment  again,  puts  a stole  round  his  neck,  and  is  ready  for 
the  ceremony.  The  poor  people  stand  silently  and  in  awe 
before  him,  while  he  composes  his  face  into  a holy  expression 
and  begins  to  mutter  some  sentences  from  the  book  in  his 
hand.  That  done,  he  seizes  a large  paint  brush  from  a pot  on 
the  table,  sprinkles  some  drops  of  holy  water  on  the  people 
and  their  green  stuff,  and  returns  to  his  disrobing.  Once  again, 
however,  he  is  interrupted,  and  the  scarf  has  to  be  re-donned, 
while  a charm  and  a picture  of  the  Virgin  brought  by  a lad}" 
are  blessed,  and  the  rosary  of  a poor  Indian  woman  touched  b}" 
his  holy  hands.  At  last  the  comic  little  man  succeeds  in 
undressing,  and  has  just  left  the  room  when  another  Indian 
enters  to  obtain  ecclesiastical  blessing.  Only  a high  official  is 
present,  and  he  evidently  considers  the  duty  far  below  his 
dignity.  With  an  expression  savouring  of  disgust  he  seizes  the 
paint  brush,  and  dispensing  with  prie.stly  trappings  and  books 
and  blessings,  he  flings  the  water  in  the  Indian’s  face,  and 
without  a word  returns  to  his  locker.  Yet  another  interrup- 
tion ! A father  and  his  little  boy  wish  baptism ; the  two 
heads  are  bowed  together  for  a minute,  while  the  cura  places 
his  hands  upon  them ; then  the  fee  is  handed  over,  and  the 
pilgrims  depart  satisfied. 

In  the  Camarin  the  spangled  velvet  curtain  has  been  with- 
drawn, and  wan-eyed  invalids  and  curious  travellers  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  are  gazing  on  the  miraculous  image. 


314 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


The  sounds  of  sobbincr  and  of  murmured  euloo'ies  mino-le ; 

O O O' 

but  the  glittering  doll  gazes  fixedly  at  her  devotees,  nor  hears 
their  cry : — 

“Gloria  sea  dada  a Maria,  Hija  del  Padre. 

Gloria  d Maria,  Madre  del  Hijo. 

Gloria  a Maria,  Esposa  del  Espiritu  Santo. 

For  los  .siglos  de  los  .siglos.  Amen.” 

(Glory  be  given  to  Mary,  Daughter  of  the  Father. 

Glory  to  Mary,  Mother  of  the  Son. 

Glory  to  Mary,  Wife  of  the  Holy  (Jhost. 

For  ever  and  ever.  Amen.) 

The  prayer-book  on  sale  to  the  pilgrims  of  Copacabana 
bears  the  following  inscription  : — 

“ Novena  of  the  Miraculous  Image  of  Copacabana,  composed 
by  the  Padre  Fray  Rafael  Sanz,  apostolic  missionary  and 
temporary  cura  of  the  sanctuary ; printed  by  the  parish  priest  of 
Bias  Tejeda,  with  the  approbation  and  indulgences  of  the  most 
worthy  Bishop  of  La  Paz,  Dr.  Don  Mariano  F.  de  Cdrdova.” 
Devotions  for  a nine  days’  pilgrimage  follow — pitiful 
prayers  to  the  Virgin,  and  ludicrous  traditions  of  her  life  for 
meditation.  The  order  of  cex’emonies  for  each  day  is  the  sign 
of  the  cross,  an  act  of  contrition,  a prayer,  meditation  on  the 
Virgin’s  life,  self-deprecation,  prayers  and  praises  to  Mary. 
The  following  extracts  from  the  devotions  appointed  for  one 
day  will  illustrate  the  idolatrous  nature  of  the  manual : — 

First  Prayer. 

“Yes,  beloved  Dlother ! of  Thee  I supplicate  all  that  is 
necessary  for  the  salvation  of  my  soul.  Of  whom  should  I ask 
this  grace  but  of  Thee  ? To  whom  should  a loving  son  go  but 
to  his  beloved  Mother  ? To  whom  the  weak  sheep  cry  but  to 
its  divine  shepherdess  ? Whom  seek  the  sick  but  the  celestial 
doctor  ? Whom  invoke  those  in  affliction  but  the  Mother  of 
con.solation  ? Hear  me  then.  Holy  Queen  ! ” 


“HER  THRONE  OF  LOVE”  315 

Devotees  are  tlien  to  recite  nine  Ave  Marias  to  the  principal 
mysteries  and  graces  of  the  Holiest  Mary,  such  as : — 

“ To  the  holiest  birth  of  Maiy,  that  in  death  it  may  bring 
about  our  birth  to  eternal  glory.  Ave  Maria ! 

“ To  the  presentation  of  Mary,  that  she  may  present  and 
defend  us  before  the  tribunal  of  God.  Ave  Maria ! 

“ To  the  anguish  of  Mary,  that  we  may  be  made  predestined 
children  of  her  sorrows.  Ave  Maria  ! ” 

The  meditation  that  follows  is  upon  the  birth  of  Mary, 
which  is  described  in  detail.  When  “ tlie  divine  beauty  of  the 
infant  ” was  first  revealed,  “ the  saintly  fathers  of  Limbo  cele- 
l)rated  with  jiibilee  the  happy  day ; the  angels  descended  to  the 
cradle  of  their  Queen,  singing  hymns  of  glory,  and  all  the  sons 
of  God  rejoiced.” 

Pilgrims  are  next  commanded  to  “ behold  this  sainted  Image 
of  Mary,  and  imagine  that  the  Divine  Child  in  her  arms — the 
same  who  was  nailed  to  the  Cross — says  to  them : ‘ This 
Virgin  who  bore  me,  this  Mother  who  brought  me  up,  this 
loving  Mother  who  assisted  me  until  my  last  moments,  this 
Divine  Mother  whose  effigy  draws  you — this  is  She  whom  I 
gave  thee  for  thy  Mother.  Dost  thou  wish  to  receive  her  ? ’ ” 

“ Ah,  Copacabana  ! ” cries  the  Seiior  Cura ; “ behold  what 
thou  wast,  and  what  thou  wouldst  be,  had  not  Mary  come  to 
seek  thee — engulfer  of  souls,  seat  of  impure  idols,  residence  of 
demons,  door  of  the  infernal  world  ! And  Mary,  pitying  thy 
state,  came  to  these  fields  and  hills,  seeking  thee,  like  a 
shepherdess  solicitous  for  a lost  sheep.  In  the  end  she  found 
thee,  took  thee  in  her  arms,  established  her  residence  here,  her 
throne  of  love  and  compassion ; made  thee  her  chief  town,  the 
court  of  her  sanctuary,  whither  come  all  the  unfortunate  to 
seek  remedy  for  their  ills.  Behold  this  august  temple,  the 
arches  of  the  altars,  and  the  frieze  of  the  chancel,  where  her 
stupendous  miracles  are  depicted;  behold  the  incessant  pilgrim- 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


316 

ages  of  devotees  who  travel  from  remote  countries!  Yes, 
sweetest  Mother ! Copacabana,  Bolivia,  Peru, — all  America 
honours  thy  holy  image  ! ” 

Before  the  devotees  leave  this  Keswick  of  Peru,  they  are 
recommended  to  say  the  following  prayer : — 

“ Aye,  JNIother  mine  ! We  do  not  know  if  we  shall  return  to 
see  thee  more.  If  not,  we  hope  that  we  shall  see  thy  com- 
passion in  the  eternal  sanctuary  of  Glory.  This  hope  consoles 
us  in  the  separation.  And  now,  in  our  return  journey,  guide 
and  keep  us  from  all  misfortune.  Save  and  protect  our  families, 
our  friends,  and  enemies.  Grant  tranquillity  to  the  State,  peace 
to  the  Church,  conversion  to  sinners,  perseverance  to  the  just, 
glory  to  all.  Farewell  Holy  One ! Grant  us  thy  benediction. 
Farewell,  all  powerful  jMother ! Farewell,  until  we  meet  in 
heaven ! Amen.” 


“To  thee,  celestial  princess, 

Holy  Virgin  Mary, 

I offer  from  this  day 
Soul,  life,  and  heart. 

Do  not  forsake  me.  Mother  mine. 

In  my  trance  of  agony.” 

The  manual  ends  with  the  words : “ The  most  illustrious 
and  holy  Archbishop  of  the  Plata,  Dr.  Don  Pedro  Puch ; the 
Bishop  of  La  Paz,  Dr.  Don  Mariano  Fernandez  de  Cordova;  the 
Bishop  of  Cochabamba,  Dr.  Don  Rafael  Salinas,  and  his  worthy 
helper  Dr.  Don  Francisco  Maria  del  Granado,  have  conceded 
a total  of  2,520  days  of  indulgence  to  all  persons  who  shall 
devoutly  repeat  these  hymns  to  iMary,  praying  for  the  Holy 
Catholic  Church,  for  her  prelates,  and  for  the  peace  of  all  her 
people.” 

One  of  the  strangest  customs  observed  during  the  Feast  of 
Copacabana  is  a pilgrimage  to  the  summit  of  Calvario.  We 
commenced  the  climb  one  afternoon,  and  met  a number  of 
pilgrims  returning  from  the  cross.  There  were  several  young 


“ FAREWELL,  HOLY  ONE  I ” 


317 


fellows,  and  men  carrying  little  children, — Cholitas  climbing  the 
hill  in  their  high-heeled  boots,  and  Indian  women  from  all  parts 
of  the  Sierra  making  the  ascent  barefooted. 

On  the  summit  we  found  a rude  cross  formed  of  several 
stones  laid  on  each  other.  Round  its  base  wei-e  hundreds  of 
tiny  pebbles,  and  as  we  stood  there  wondering  what  their 
meaning  could  be,  an  Indian  woman  climbed  over  the  steep 
edge  of  the  hill  and  emptied  a skirtful  of  stones  on  to  the  heap. 
The  cross  itself  was  covered  with  the  strangest  of  objects — little 
animals  I’oughly  modelled  in  mud,  pieces  of  knitted  material, 
balls  of  Indian  wool,  tiny  crosses  of  wood,  and  withered  flowers. 

All  over  the  summit  of  the  hill  people  were  busy  building- 
toy  houses  and  gardens.  We  noticed  model  farms,  with  stick 
fences,  mud  animals,  green  trees,  and  little  farmhouses  built  of 
stones  and  thatch.  Pieces  of  paper,  variously  inscribed  with 
names  and  wishes,  were  fastened  to  sticks  and  placed  in  the 
ground.  One  bore  the  inscription : “ A deposit  of  silver  ” ; 
another  “ A copper  mine  ” ; another  had  sevei’al  children  drawn 
upon  it. 

Ancient  custom,  dating  from  the  time  when  the  sun  was 
worshipped  on  Calvario ! Strange  superstition,  neither  en- 
couraged nor  exposed  by  the  Church  which  named  the  hill ! 
Pity  of  pities,  that  where  our  Saviour’s  death  is  symbolized, 
there  ignorant  people  should  still  leave  an  embodiment  of  their 
wishes,  in  the  hope  that  the  Queen  of  Heaven  will  remember 
their  petitions  and  send  them  their  desires  ! 

We  had  climbed  to  a crag  of  the  hill  from  which  we  could 
look  out  over  Titicaca,  and  were  sitting  lost  in  the  beauty  of 
the  view.  Far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  Titicaca  stretched,  hex- 
grey  waves  dancing  to  the  silent  sunset  harmonies.  In  the 
north  a stornx  was  gathering  and  heaping  piu-ple  clouds  on  the 
hox-izon,  where  silver  light  oixtlined  the  island  coasts  and  main- 
land bays.  There  were  fairy  laddei-s  crossing  the  lake  to  the 
storm-clouds — ladders  of  trembling  lilac  and  silver  and  blue — 
but  they  faded  into  grey  as  the  shadows  lengthened  over 


THE  KESWICK  OF  PERU 


31B 

Copacabana,  ami  stars  began  to  shine  above  us,  appearing  out 
of  the  blue  like  cathedral  candles,  one  by  one  lit  in  the  dusk. 

Go  back  to  Derwent  water.  Can  you  feel  the  exaltation  of 
the  moment  when  three  thoiisand  of  the  worshippers  gathered 
below  Skiddaw,  together  repeat  our  Lord’s  words : “ Thine  is 
the  kingdom,  the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever  and  ever  ” ? 
Can  you  see  the  group  on  Friar’s  Crag — motionless  in  silent 
prayer  ? One  of  their  number  will  be  on  a far  mission  field  ere 
the  next  Convention  comes  round.  Can  you  hear  the  voices 
floating  over  the  lake  from  a distant  boat  ? Listen  : “ Stayed 
upon  Jehovah  . . . perfect  peace  and  rest.” 

]\leanwhile  another  convention  by  another  lake-side  draws 
to  its  close.  Drunken  Indian  musicians  pipe  and  drum  wildly ; 
the  dancers  in  the  plaza  quicken  their  pace,  and  the  movements 
of  the  high-heeled  French  boots  upon  the  rough  cobbles  grow 
indistinguishable ; the  last  request  has  been  left  on  Calvario ; 
the  last  magic  amulet  has  been  taken  from  the  Virgin’s  neck ; 
and  pitying  night  draws  its  velvet  curtains  around  the  poor 
children  of  Copacabana,  whose  revelling  and  sin  run  rampant  in 
the  darkness. 

Such  is  the  Keswick  of  Peru. 


Chapter  XXVIII. — Corpus  Christi — 

The  wafer  god — How  Cuzco  celebrates  “ The  Body  of 
Christ  ” — Religion  in  art — How  rival  Indian  villages  and  their 
respective  idols  compete  in  a procession — Altars  which  are  also 
public-houses. 


319 


f 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


“CORPUS  CHRISTI” 


“The  Real  Presence  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Eucharist  is  one  of  the 
principal  dogmas  of  the  Catholic  religion,  and  is  therefore  of  fundamental 
importance,  as  the  most  precious  treasure  that  Christ  has  left  to  His  Church, 
as  the  centre  of  Catholic  worship,  and  as  the  fount  of  Christian  piety.” 


OMAN  CATHOLICISM  gives  to  its  Peruvian  devotees 


many  idols,  but  tlie  most  pitiful,  and  most  abhorrent,  is 
this  wafer  god,  this  wheaten  divinity — the  Host. 

Mr.  Tayler  has  said  truly : “ What  the  Cross  of  Christ  is 
to  the  Christian,  that  is  the  Mass  to  the  Papist.”  ^ It  is  the 
Peruvians’  propitiatory  sacrifice,  and  the  ground  of  their  hopes 
for  eternity.  The  lower  classes  know  nothing  of  the  meaning 
of  the  Missal ; to  them  the  daily  ceremony  is  simply  the  worship 
of  the  “ Most  High  God.” 

It  is  instructive  to  trace  the  way  in  which  the  ordinances 
given  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  have  been  built  upon  by  the 
ecclesiastical  dignitaries  of  every  age.  During  the  first,  second, 
and  third  centuries  the  Communion  service  was  considered 
memorial  and  figurative.  From  this  date  onwards  a discussion 
on  the  Mass  raged  and  many  theories  were  formulated,  until 
the  Council  of  Trent  declared  that  “ The  most  holy  sacrifice  of 
the  Mass  is  not  a mere  sacrifice  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  nor 
a simple  commemoi’ation  of  the  sacrifice  offered  upon  the  cross, 
but  it  is  also  a true  propitiatory  sacrifice,  by  which  God  is 
appeased,  and  rendered  propitious  to  us.” 


Cardinal  Vannutelli. 


2 I 


1 W.  E.  Tayler,  Popery : Its  Character  and  its  Crimes. 

321 


322 


“CORPUS  CHRISTI” 


After  asserting  tliat  at  their  consecration  the  wine  and  wafer 
are  changed  into  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  “ true  God  and  man,” 
the  catechism  continues : “ There  is  therefore  no  room  to  doubt 
that  all  the  faithful  in  Christ  are  bound  to  worship  and 
venerate  this  most  Holy  Sacrament ; and  to  render  thereto  the 
worship  which  is  due  to  the  true  God,  according  to  the  constant 
usage  in  the  Catholic  Church.  If  any  one  say  that  this  Holy 
Sacrament  should  not  be  adored,  or  solemnly  carried  about  in 
procession,  or  held  up  publicly  for  the  people  to  adore  it,  or 
that  its  worshippers  are  idolaters,  let  him  be  accursed.” 

In  Peru  I have  seen  abundant  proof  of  the  truth  of  the 
following  statement : “ These  symbols,  rather  than  the  great 
principles  they  hold  foi’th,  are  insisted  upon  as  the  vital  energy. 
. . . Salvation  and  perdition  turn  not  on  the  condition  of  the 
heart  in  God’s  sight,  but  upon  having  a share  of  the  consecrated 
fluid,  or  solid  matter,  which  the  priest  may  bestow  or  refuse. 

. . Popery  virtually  rejects  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  and  puts 
forth  as  the  great  propitiation  for  human  guilt,  the  daily  sacri- 
fice of  the  Mass.  It  thus  snatches  the  work  of  salvation  out  of 
the  hands  of  Christ,  and  puts  it  into  the  hands  of  the  priests.”  ^ 
Surely  even  pagans  would  smile  to  see  the  ladies  of  Peru 
kneel  in  the  streets  in  adoration  of  the  passing  wafer;  the 
gentlemen  stand  bareheaded  in  the  presence  of  the  god  which 
they  have  grown  and  baked. 

A huge  and  imposing  procession  is  yearly  organized  in  Cuzco, 
in  which  all  the  Church  and  State  dignitaries  take  part,  accom- 
panied by  the  most  celebrated  “ saints  ” of  the  city  and  neighbour- 
hood. Indians  come  from  miles  round  to  witness  the  ceremonies. 

“ Body  of  Christ  ” — so  the  feast  is  named  ! Think  of  it  well, 
dear  homeland  friends,  who  only  know  a Catholicism  modified 
by  Protestantism,  and  then  let  me  tell  you  what  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  of  Peru  teaches  her  children  of  the  “ Body  of 
Christ.”  Think  of  it  well,  dear  missionary-hearted  Christians, 


^ \V.  E.  Tayler,  Popery : Its  Character  and  its  Crimes. 


THE  WAFER  GOD 


323 


who  have  prayed  for  China  and  India,  and  worked  for  Africa 
and  the  Isles  of  the  Sea,  but  neglected  Roman  Catholic  South 
America.  Hear  now  what  the  Christianized  Indians  in  the 
ancient  capital  of  Peru  know  of  the  “ Body  of  Christ  ” ! 

The  most  important  “ saints  ” of  the  district  had  been  borne 
to  Cuzco  with  great  festivities,  and  for  a week  had  remained  on 
show  in  the  Cathedral,  where  I saw  them  on  the  afternoon  of 
their  departure.  At  the  far  end  of  the  nave  a gaudy  altar 
reaching  from  floor  to  ceiling,  loomed  indistinct  through  clouds 
of  incense ; the  floor  was  covered  with  kneeling  Indians,  whose 
eyes  wandered  from  one  to  another  of  the  magnificent  images 
lining  either  side  of  the  nave.  There  was  St.  James,  represented 
as  a Spanish  cavalier  on  a white  charger  harnessed  in  blue  and 
gold.  The  saint  wore  black  hair  down  to  his  waist,  a dark 
moustache,  and  a small  pointed  beard.  Over  his  gorgeously 
embroidered  waistcoat  and  red  plush  trousers  hung  a white  silk 
cloak ; and  his  sword  was  raised,  as  it  is  supposed  to  have  been 
in  defence  of  the  Spaniards  against  the  Moors,  or  more 
popularly,  in  extermination  of  heretics.  There  was  a famous 
Vii’gin,  probably  originally  intended  for  the  woman,  whom,  with 
her  manchild,  Michael  delivered  from  the  dragon.  She  was 
magnificently  dressed  in  blue  and  gold,  and  bore  on  her  head  a 
mitre  of  solid  gold  and  red  velvet.  Behind  her  was  an  angel, 
presumably  Michael,  with  silver  wings,  a feathered  silver  helmet, 
and  a pink  satin  dress  with  blue  ribbons.  His  spear  was  plunged 
in  a horrible  head,  from  the  nostrils  and  mouth  of  which  blood 
was  pouring.  This  ghastly  object  at  the  back  of  the  image 
seemed  to  attract  more  attention  than  the  Virgin  herself. 
Crowds  of  Indians  were  standing  about  it.  Then  there  was 
San  Cristobal,  the  Christ-carrier,  represented  by  a gigantic 
figure  in  sage  green  plush  knickers  and  a red  velvet  cloak,  with 
a tiny  doll  in  a blue  velvet  suit,  seated  at  his  elbow,  and  a tree 
of  wired  tinsel  leaves  in  his  other  hand. 

There  were  two  long  lines  of  “ saints  ” — some  standing  over 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground  ; some  under  magnificent  canopies ; 


324 


“CORPUS  CHRISTI” 


some  on  valuable  old  silver  pedestals ; all  mounted  on  wooden 
frames  covered  with  thin  plates  of  silver,  and  borne  on  large 
wooden  poles.  Most  were  guarded  by  Indians.  I noticed  one 
old  man,  a dwarf,  whose  head  did  not  I’each  above  my  waist, 
striking  a \yoman’s  hand  because,  in  passing,  she  touched  the 
“ saint  ” of  his  village.  The  ugly  little  Indian  was  truly  zealous 
in  performing  his  duties,  and  there  were  more  candles  on 
the  poles  of  his  “ saint’s  ” carriage  than  burned  in  honour  of  any 
other  image. 

Were  these  the  objects  which  the  prie.sts  of  the  various 
districts  had  encouraged  the  Indians  to  prepare,  in  order  to 
impress  upon  them  religious  truths  in  connection  with  the 
celebration  of  “ Corpus  Christi  ” ? 

On  the  day  of  the  departure  of  the  “ saints,”  eight  huge  struc- 
tures called  descansos  (resting-places),  which  tower  from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet  in  height,  are  placed  at  intervals  round  the  square. 
Each  structure  is  a dazzling  mass  of  pictures,  images,  dolls,  gaudy 
colours,  tinsel,  candles,  mirrors,  and  artificial  flowers.  One  cla.ss 
of  artizans  vies  with  others  in  the  endeavour  to  rear  the  most 
showy  descanso,  and  as  they  all  are  very  ignorant,  one  can 
imacfine  the  strikinj;  result  of  their  efforts.  At  the  foot  of  each 
is  built  an  altar  upon  which  the  Host  will  be  placed  and 
worshipped.  The  Pei'uvian  friend  from  whose  house  we  are 
watching  the  procession,  remarks  upon  the  absence  of  better- 
class  people  from  the  square,  and  the  small  number  of 
descansos. 

“ Ahora  no  hay  entusiasrr>,o  ” (to-day  there  is  no  enthusiasm), 
he  continues;  and  in  our  hearts  we  rejoice,  and  pray  for  the 
day  when  the  festival  of  Corpus  Christi  shall  be  obsolete ! The 
rationalism  of  the  Cuzco  liberals,  though  a terrible  foe  to  the 
Gospel,  is  yet  producing  amongst  the  thinking  people  a di.sgust 
for  such  superstition. 

The  descanso  neare.st  to  us  is  a mass  of  red  and  silver  glass, 
with  a fine  old  Spanish  altarpiece  in  carved  silver  below,  and 
above,  numbers  of  Peruvian  flags  with  their  red  and  white 


RELIGION  IN  ART 


325 


stripes,  and  banners  displaying  every  possible  crude  combination 
of  brilliant  colours.  Other  descansos  are  covered  with  white 
altar  cloths,  and  ornamented  by  screens  of  pictures,  built  as 
wings  to  the  altars.  These  pictures  are  very  crudely  coloured 
pi'ints,  but  give  the  only  religious  teaching  that  I can  see 
anywhere.  One  is  named  “ The  Death  of  a Sinner,”  and 
represents  a dying  man  as  refusing  to  look  at  the  crucifix  held 
by  a priest  close  to  his  bedside.  A complacent  angel  with 
folded  arms  smiles  at  the  scene ; devils  are  spearing  the  sinner 
on  all  sides;  a monstrous  dragon,  breathing  fire,  is  devouring 
his  bed-clothes ; a snake  licks  his  money-bag ; and  standing  on 
the  clouds  Christ  directs  speared  lightning  at  his  heart.  Below 
the  picture  are  these  words : “ Contemplate  your  end,  sinner, 
and  tremble ; and  if  you  wish  to  escape  eternal  sufferings  and 
the  wrath  of  God  for  all  time,  sincerely  repent,  that  ye  may  be 
pardoned.”  The  companion  picture  representing  “ The  Death  of 
a Saint,”  shows  less  imagination ; a dying  man  covered  with 
creaseless  sheets  is  looking  up  in  rapture  at  surrounding  angels, 
and  a sentence  beneath  exhoi’ts  all  to  repent  of  their  sins  that 
such  an  end  may  be  theirs. 

A number  of  children  are  gaping  around  a picture  of  the 
devil,  beneath  which  are  the  words : “ You  who  look  at  me, 
value  your  mirror.  Do  not  be  deceived  by  me,  but  repent  of 
your  sins  and  suffer  with  patience  and  humility.  Desire  to 
endure  the  worst  torments  of  body  and  soul  in  this  life,  in 
order  to  satisfy  Divine  justice  (without  which  it  is  impossible 
to  be  pardoned),  if  you  do  not  wish  to  be  condemned  with  me  to 
eternal  pains.  Sin  without  remedy  ! Think  what  it  means  ! ” 
Another  strange  picture  represents  Christ  surrounded  by 
devils  bearinor  on  their  shields  the  followinjr  mottoes : — 

“ The  sins  which  I committed  are  with  me  always.” 

“ The  worm  of  my  conscience  never  leaves  me.” 

“ Pains  of  death  environ  me  and  come  each  day  nearer.” 

“ Doing  penance  for  my  sins  does  not  save  my  soul  from 
death.” 


“CORPUS  CHRISTI” 


326 

From  Christ’s  mouth  these  words  are  supposed  to  proceed: 

“ Woe  is  Me ! That  which  affrights  and  hoi’rifies  Me  most  is 
that  Divine  justice  calls  Me.” 

Below  these  mottoes  are  printed : — 

“ Day  and  night,  how  quickly  they  pass  !” 

“ Memoroe,  novissima  tua,  et  in  eternum  non  peccahis 
exsacra  excritura.” 

“ Read  wdth  care  these  sentences,  considering  them  in  a 
spirit  of  truth  Avith  religious  attention.  Do  not  have  the 
impudence  to  laugh ; but  take  care,  and  think  well,  for  this  is 
important  to  you.” 

As  these  mottoes  are  printed  in  Old  Spanish  fancy  characters, 
and  as  most  of  the  Indians  present  cannot  read,  I am  afraid  the 
pictures  create  more  superstitious  wonder  than  inquiry  or 
knowledge  of  God. 

By  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  the  plaza  is  thronged ; 
chicha  has  already  flowed  freely  amongst  the  crowd,  and 
big  brown  jars  may  be  seen  beneath  the  altars,  while  in  the 
chicharias  alcohol  is  being  drunk  in  quantities. 

From  Sehor  C ’s  balcony  we  have  a perfect  view:  such 

a crowd ! such  colours ! such  clothes ! Large  circular  Indian 
hats,  the  gilded  embroidery  of  which  catches  the  sun;  red 
coats  and  full  rough  skirts ; bare  legs  and  short  knickers ; 
rebosos  of  every  colour ; patches  of  brilliant  brown  and  red 
and  blue ; all  move  below  us  Avith  kaleidoscopic  effects. 

The  sounds  of  the  plaza  ascend  in  strange  confusion ; 
Kechua  gutturals  and  drunken  cries  half-drown  the  Aveird 
music  of  Indian  flutes  and  drums,  and  the  low  hubbub  of  the 
AV'aiting  Avomen’s  con\"ersation  never  lessens. 

Above  all  these  noises,  the  boom  of  the  big  cathedral  bell 
suddenly  sounds.  As  the  vibrations  of  its  solemn,  impressive 
notes  die  aAvay,  a strange  stillness  falls  on  the  air ; each  man 
in  the  square  or  streets  of  Cuzco  takes  off  his  hat,  and  the 
majority  kneel ; again  the  big  bell  booms  forth,  and  the  band, 
on  its  knees,  strikes  up  a plaintive  air ; after  the  bell  has 


INCENSE  AND  BLOSSOMS 


327 


rung  for  the  third  time  the  people  rise,  their  muttered  Ave 
Marias  cease,  the  strains  of  the  band  die  away,  and  mingling 
with  the  renewed  hum  of  the  crowd  are  heard  the  screeching 
tones  of  the  old  cathedral  organ.  And  the  reason  of  all  this  ? 
The  perpetration  of  the  most  awful  blasphemy  under  heaven. 
The  officiating  canon  has  pronounced  a few  Latin  words,  and 
the  wafer  has  become  God.  The  big  bell  tolls  out  the  news, 
and  all  within  the  cathedral  (and  most  without)  fall  down  and 
worship. 

A few  minutes  later  the  united  clanging  of  all  the  cathedral 
bells  tells  us  that  the  procession  is  forming.  The  noise  now 
reaches  a climax ; a band  is  heard  in  the  distance ; the  crowd 
moves  back  from  the  cathedral  door  with  shouts  of,  “ They 
come ! they  come ! ” The  Indian  women  fall  on  their  knees, 
while  the  children  drop  treasured  scraps  of  paper  and  peel 
in  their  eagerness  to  catch  sight  of  “The  Holiest”  and  the 
“ saints.” 

Look ! two  by  two  Mercederian  monks  file  slowly  through 
the  door,  their  white  robes  and  tonsured  heads  glistening  in  the 
rays  of  the  tropical  sun.  Immediately  behind  these  come  the 
Franciscans  and  Dominicans,  the  former  in  dark  brown  robes, 
and  the  latter  in  black  and  white.  Students  and  professors  of 
the  Theological  Seminary  follow,  in  black  gowns  with  red 
facings ; then  acolytes  bearing  lighted  tapers  and  swinging 
censers,  from  which  ascend  clouds  of  pungent  incense. 

Several  black-coated  gentlemen  scattering  rose-leaves  im- 
mediately precede  a magnificent  canopy,  under  which  walk 
a group  of  church  dignitaries  clothed  in  handsomely  em- 
broidered cream  robes.  In  the  midst  moves  a canon  with 
most  impressive  mien,  carrying  in  the  pyx  El  Santisimo.  The 
Government  representatives  follow,  the  Prefect  carrying  an 
ecclesiastical  banner;  behind  these  walk  the  departmental  and 
municipal  officials,  who,  although  rationalists,  must  take  part 
in  the  procession  under  a penalty  of  a fine.  Next  in  order 
come  the  State  lawyers  and  judges,  in  full  dress,  carrying 


“CORPUS  CHRISTI” 


328 

swords,  and  wearing  cocked  hats  with  red  plumes,  and  long 
braided  coats.  Now  come  crowds  of  women,  members  of  the 
different  religious  societies,  most  of  them  carrying  lighted 
candles.  The  town  band,  composed  of  Cholos,  follows,  assisted 
by  a number  of  Indians,  who  make  most  distracting  noises  with 
large  shells. 

There  is  no  hush  of  reverence,  but  rather  a wilder  clamour 
than  before,  as  the  bands  break  out  irrespective  of  each  other, 
and  the  Indians  push  forward  and  battle  for  a nearer  sight  of 
the  splendour. 

One  descanso  has  been  reached  and  a short  service  held. 
As  the  Host  passes,  all  the  other  occupants  of  the  room  where 
we  are  kneel  and  recite  prayers.  Although  not  wishing  to 
wound  their  feelings,  we  cannot  in  any  way  compromise  with 
idolatry,  and  so  remain  standing. 

The  crowd  surges  on  to  the  next  altar  where  Mass  is  to  be 
said,  and  men  and  women  kneel  around  it  with  bared  heads, 
while  the  shouts  from  the  cathedral  grow  louder  and  louder. 
The  “ saints  ” are  coming — giant  figures,  each  borne  by  thirty 
or  more  Indians ! See  how  the  sun  blazes  on  their  velvet  and 
gold ! See  how  they  sway  above  the  heads  of  the  mob ! See 
how  the  drunken  Indian  carriers  fight  and  swear;  how  the 
little  Peruvian  policemen  try  to  restrain  them  ; how  the  “saints” 
struggle  for  first  places ; how  the  crowd  surges  around ; how 
the  poor,  ignorant  bystanders  gaze  in  wonder  at  the  gaudy 
magnificence ! 

The  Host  has  passed  on,  that  Mass  may  be  said  at  the  next 
altar;  the  “saints”  are  following.  Virgins,  heroes,  and  angels 
sway  and  stagger  along ; the  sun  turns  the  coloured  altar 
glasses  to  dazzling  jewels;  flags  wave;  bands  play;  Indians 
shout;  while  the  wafer  in  the  golden  casket  becomes  Christ, 
and  the  people  kneel  in  His  presence. 

Now  the  last  altar  has  been  visited;  there  is  a movement 
amongst  the  priests;  a bugle  rings  out  in  the  clear  mountain 
air,  and  the  vast  procession  begins  to  disperse.  The  Host  is 


PROCESSION  OF  SAINTS  IN  CUZCO. 


RUTHLESS  BLOODSHED 


329 


conducted  back  to  the  cathedral,  the  regiment  returns  to  the 
barracks,  the  Prefect  accompanied  by  his  staff  turns  towai’ds 
the  Prefectura,  and  the  “ saints  ” crowd  and  push  each  other  in 
their  exit  from  the  plaza ! 

The  object  of  each  band  of  Indians  is  to  reach  home  with 
its  village  “ saint  ” before  any  other.  So  the  giant  figures  plunge 
along — the  Indians  running,  strong  in  the  strength  of  alcohol 
and  chicha. 

Watch  San  Sebastian ! He  is  that  figure  carrying  a tree — 
his  flesh  pierced  by  several  silver  arrows,  and  only  covered  by 
a gorgeously  embroidered  magenta  satin  loin-cloth ! He  was, 
I believe,  a converted  savage,  but  at  present  is  contesting  with 
San  Jeronimo,  a pope-like  figure  dressed  in  red. 

The  village  of  San  Jeronimo  lies  beyond  San  Sebastian  on 
the  Checacupe  Road,  and  its  natives  will  try  to  pass  the  rival 
village  before  its  “ saint  ” has  arrived.  The  natives  of  San 
Sebastian,  however,  have  bai-ricaded  their  street,  leaving  only 
a narrow  path  free;  and  San  Jeronimo  will  have  to  fight 
with  San  Sebastian  for  first  passage  through  this.  All  the 
villagers  will  assist,  and  while  the  “saints”  stand  propped 
against  a wall,  knives  will  be  drawn,  and  blood  ruthlessly 
shed. 

“ The  altars  are  chicharias  and  kitchens  too,”  the  Peruvian 
gentleman  next  me  remarks;  and  there  below  the  altars  we 
can  see  the  brown  pots  in  rows— -the  women  busy  selling,  and 
the  men  slipping  senseless  on  to  the  ground,  or  singing  and 
dancing  wildly. 

It  is  dangerous  to  be  out  now ; orange-peel  and  stones  have 
hit  us,  and  if  we  move  from  our  gentlemen  fidends  the  drunken 
Indians  imsult  us. 

What  shame  it  is  that  these  ignorant  people  should  drink 
and  fight ! What  wonder  that  they  should  take  the  only 
pleasure  available  to  them ! Little  or  none ! But  that  a 
Christian  Church  should  call  this  holiday  of  licence  by  the 
name  of  her  Saviour ; that  she  should  profess  to  remember 


“CORPUS  CHRISTI” 


330 

His  sufferings  in  a drunken  rout — this  is  a crying  shame  on 
all  who  allow  it. 

“ Corpus  Christi ! ” Who  will  go  and  teach  Peru  some- 
thing of  the  meaning  of  these  wondrous  words  ? For  to-day  their 
ignorance  is  as  great  as  that  of  any  heathen  nation.  Once  more 
we  see  Christianity  materialized  in  their  midst : instead  of  the 
Bread  of  Life,  they  have  been  given  a 'wheaten  idol ; instead 
of  soul-satisfaction,  a spiritual  famine  ! 


Chapter  XXIX. — The  Land  of  the  Christless  Cross — 

How  even  the  Atonement  has  been  touched  by  the  material- 
izing finger  of  Home — A land  where  crosses  are  everyiohere, 
but  Christ  is  unknown — How  the  crucifix  is  to  some  Peruvians 
a pagan  charm,  and  to  others  a sy  mbol  of  sadness — The  message 
of  moonlight  and  shadow. 


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V, 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  CHRISTLESS  CROSS 

“ Crosses  tliere  are  in  abundance  ; but  when  sliall  the  doctrines  of  the 
Cross  be  held  up  1 ” — Henry  Martyn. 

The  deadly  finger  which  materializes  all  that  it  touches  has 
not  spared  the  heart  of  Christianity — the  Atonement. 
Romo  has  over-emphasized  the  physical  aspect  of  the  death 
of  Jesus  to  the  neglect  of  the  spiritual  meaning  of  the  Cross. 
In  Peru  tlie  importance  given  to  the  mere  human  tragedy  of 
Calvary  is  overwhelming,  so  much  so  indeed  that  the  power 
of  the  crucifix  would  scarcely  be  lessened  were  the  identities 
of  the  innocent  Sufferer  and  His  agonized  mother  to  be  wholly 
unknown.  Whatever  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  may  be,  she 
presents  Christ  to  Peru  rather  as  a sufferer  than  a Saviour. 

The  central  object  of  Peruvian  worship  is  the  crucifix;  but 
from  it  nothing  is  learnt  concerning  the  sacrificial  nature  of 
Christ’s  death ; nothing  of  the  resurrection  power  which  came 
into  the  world  as  a sequel  to  that  suffering.  And  Peru  has 
only  the  crucifix.  It  is  the  land  of  a Christless  cross. 

For  nearly  four  hundred  years  the  Church  of  Rome  has 
laboured  in  Peru  that  the  shadow  of  the  Cross  might  extend 
from  her  Pacific  desert  to  her  highest  puna.  We  find  the 
symbol  everywhere : in  the  towns  Indians  dance  and  drink  at 
the  street  corners  beneath  its  shadow ; in  the  houses  its  altars 
or  niches  are  ornamented  and  revered ; the  churches  are 
crowned  with  crosses  of  gold,  and  the  Indian  homes  with  rude 

333 


334  the  land  of  THE  CHRISTLESS  CROSS 


crosses  of  sticks  or  wood.  Crosses  mark  the  hilltops ; crosses 
watch  over  lonely  roads ; crosses  stand  in  the  centre  of  tiny 
Indian  hamlets,  and  mark  the  graves  which  have  been  made 
all  along  the  railway  track.  Wherever  men  have  passed  in 
Peru — whether  ’mid  mountain  snows  or  tropical  forests — they 
have  left  a cross. 

The  crucifix  hangs  from  priestly  girdles  and  from  ladies’ 
necklaces ; it  is  held  by  the  bedside  of  the  dying,  and 
embroidered  on  priestly  vestments  and  altar  cloths ; it  is  worn 
on  scapularies  and  amulets  and  bracelets,  and  hangs  on  babies’ 
teething  necklaces ; it  is  made  in  leather  on  swish-handles,  and 
kissed  by  the  school  children  before  they  are  caned. 

Every  day  in  Peru  we  see  people  making  the  sign  of  the 
cross : Indians  cross  themselves  as  they  pass  churches,  and 
when  the  Prayer  Bell  rings ; the  poor  make  the  efficacious  sign 
before  they  take  medicine ; worshippers  make  it  as  they  enter 
and  leave  the  cathedral ; children  run  into  the  churches  to  dip 
their  fingers  in  holy  water  and  make  the  blessed  sign  upon 
their  mouths  and  breasts. 

To  England,  what  is  the  Cross  ? It  raised  her  from 
barbarism ; it  freed  her  from  Popery  and  Spain ; it  brought 
to  her  an  epoch-making  Reformation,  both  religious  and  in- 
tellectual ; it  nurtured  the  heart  of  her  present  stability, 
Puritan  England ; it  has  established  her  amidst  the  Protestant 
powers  of  the  world,  above  all  other  peoples,  and  made  her 
respected  as  the  protector  of  the  persecuted,  the  friend  of 
freedom,  and  the  lover  of  international  peace  and  righteousness. 

To  Peru  what  is  the  Cross  ? It  ornamented  the  banners  of 
the  devastating  armies  of  the  Spanish  conquerors ; it  was  held 
before  the  last  of  the  Incas  while  he  was  murdered ; it  witnessed 
the  brutalities  of  the  Crusader’s  greed  for  gold ; it  was  set  on 
high  wherever  the  priest  could  persuade  pagan  Indians  to 
submit  to  the  rite  of  baptism ; it  has  lowered  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world  the  powers  and  possibilities  of  one  of  earth’s  richest 
lands,  and  of  a people  as  generous  as  they  are  gifted. 


A CHRISTLESS  CROSS. 

Ciosses  like  this  are  to  be  found  throughout  Peru.  They  have  tlie  loin  cloth,  the  seamless 
robe,  the  dice,  the  sword,  the  spear,  the  ladder,  and  the  tools  of  Calvary.  They  have  the 
money-bag  of  Judas;  the  basin  in  which  Pilate  washed;  the  cock  whose  crowing  con- 
victed Peter  ; and  Maiy’s  miraculous  handkerchief,  which  is  said  to  have  borne  away  the 
impression  of  the  .Saviour’s  face.  Bui  they  have  no  Christ. 


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WHEREVER  MEN  HAVE  PASSED 


335 


It  is  difficult  for  a foreigner  to  realize  the  true  meaning  of 
the  Cross  in  Peru : — to  many  it  is  only  a pagan  charm.  It  is 
lucky;  it  has  supernatural  powers  and  virtues.  To  these 
wearers  of  crucifix  charms,  the  Cross  is  a cheap  and 
favourite  panacea. 

To  others,  the  material  cross  is,  in  itself,  an  object  of 
worship.  Indians  lift  their  hats  to  it;  a relic  of  the  historic 
cross  is  miraculous ; crosses  when  blessed  by  a priest  will 
hear  and  answer  prayer ; the  pilgrims  at  Copacabana  crawl 
on  their  knees  round  three  immense  alabaster  cruces  (crosses), 
and  climb  to  the  summit  of  Calvario  to  leave  models  of 
what  they  have  petitioned  near  the  cross  which  crowns  that 
hill. 

To  others  the  cross  is  a symbol  of  sadness : they  must  turn 
from  the  beautiful  Virgin  to  a blood-stained  corpse ; they  must 
continually  be  reminded  of  suffering — not  in  its  aesthetic  form, 
as  represented  by  Mary’s  silver  heart  pierced  with  silver 
arrows — but  by  the  gi-uesome  and  realistic  figure  on  the  cross. 
Catholicism  is  not  all  fair ; it  does  not  only  calm  and  awe 
with  its  beauty ; across  its  most  aesthetic  loveliness  there  lies 
a shadow — the  shadow  of  the  cross. 

As  these  ignorant  Roman  Catholics  enter  the  shade,  what 
do  they  realize  of  its  meaning  ? Some,  like  a devotee  well 
known  to  some  of  the  missionaries  in  Peru — a young  lady 
who  daily  spent  hours  in  prayer — see  in  it  only  an  extreme 
type  of  the  suffering  which  inevitably  comes  to  all  human 
beings.  Others  have  learned  by  rote  certain  doctrinal  state- 
ments concerning  it.  On  the  eve  of  the  Feast  of  the  Holy 
Crosses  celebrated  in  Cuzco,  we  stood  in  the  fading  light  of 
the  dim  lanterns  which  were  set  before  a street  cross.  Several 
women  crouched  about  us  in  the  darkness,  and  when  they 
realized  that  we  were  heretics,  broke  out  into  wailing  ecstasies : 
“ Ah,  the  blessed  cross ! it  saves ! it  saves ! Christ  died  for 
our  sins.  The  holy  cross  saves ! ” They  had  learned  the 
phrases  by  heart,  and  repeated  them  without  in  the  least 


336  THE  LAND  OF  THE  CHRISTLESS  CROSS 


understanding  their  meaning,  or  realizing  that  evil  lives  were 
incompatible  with  saving  faith  in  the  Cross  of  Christ. 

To  such,  the  cross  speaks  of  the  astonishing  miracles  of 
cruciform  wood  and  stone ; of  the  empty  rhetoric  of  priests ; 
of  dark  decaying  church  walls,  and  gaudy  images — hideous, 
unloved,  neglected.  In  a fainter  voice  to  some  it  speaks  of 
a cruel  death  of  God’s  Son  at  the  hands  of  sinners — of  dying 
love,  impotent  Divinity,  and  suffering  righteousness.  But  to 
all  it  is  a Clu-istless  cross.  For  this  murdered  One,  this  corpse, 
is  not  our  Lord ; yet,  apart  from  the  jewelled  doll  in  the 
Virgin’s  arms,  and  the  wafer  god,  this  is  the  only  Christ 
in  Peru. 


Alas ! Jesus  is  either  unknown  or  misrepresented  in  this 
land. 

The  story  of  His  life  is  unknown.  The  majority  of  Peruvians 
have  never  seen  a Bible;  in  the  convent  schools  the  children 
learn  a few  Bible  stories  or  lives  of  the  saints ; but  the  nation 
as  a whole  is  totally  ignorant  of  the  history  of  Christ’s  life. 

His  sacrificial  death  is  unknown.  Those  who  know  anything 
of  Christianity  in  Peru  believe  that  the  salvation  of  their 
souls  depends  upon  the  action  of  a priest  in  transforming  and 
partaking  of  the  wine  and  wafer.  They  spend  their  lives 
trying  to  earn  a right  to  enter  heaven,  and  die  in  fear  of  the 
unknown  beyond  the  grave. 

His  forgiveness  of  sins  is  unknown.  The  ignorant  people 
conceive  Him  as  such  a pitiless  Lord  that  they  must  go  to 
Mary  that  she  may  soften  His  hard  heart.  Even  after  lives 
of  pious  devotion  they  believe  they  must  be  chained  for  a 
season  in  purgatory,  there  to  expiate  the  sins  which  He  would 
not  forgive. 

His  power  over  sin  is  unknown.  When  has  a Peruvian 
cura  taught  of  a power  that  can  conquer  sin  ? When  has  he 
pointed  to  a reformed  life  as  an  example  of  its  efficacy? 
When  have  religion  and  morality  been  connected  in  the  minds 


A CORPSE  OR  DOLL 


337 


of  the  people  ? Yet  Christendom  comforts  herself  with  the 
soothing  thought ; Peru  has  Roman  Catholicism ; she  has  the 
Cross. 

Has  the  Gospel  ever  been  given  to  this  people  — that 
Gospel  founded  not  in  any  dogmas,  but  in  a Person  ? What 
did  they  learn  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  Conquest  ? What  do 
they  learn  of  Him  from  the  Church  to-day  ? What  from  its 
doctrines  ? What  from  the  lives  of  its  priests  ? 

The  principal  standard  of  Cortes,  the  most  famous  of  the 
Invader-Crusaders,  was  of  “black  velvet,  embroidered  with 
gold,  and  emblazoned  with  a red  cross  amidst  flames  of  blue 
and  white,  with  this  motto  in  Latin  underneath : Friends, 
let  us  follow  the  cross,  and  under  this  sign,  if  we  have  faith, 
we  shall  conquer.”  ^ 

Prescott  writes  of  the  Conquerors  of  Peru,  when  about  to 
attempt  the  capture  of  the  Inca,  that  first  base  act  of  the  bloody 
tragedy  of  the  Conquest : — 

“ The  God  of  Battles  was  invoked  to  spread  his  shield  over 
the  soldiers  who  were  fighting  to  extend  the  empire  of  the 
cross,  and  all  joined  with  enthusiasm  in  the  chant,  Exsurge, 
Domine — ‘ Rise,  O Lord  ! and  judge  Thine  own  cause  ! ’ One 
might  have  supposed  them  a company  of  martyrs  about  to  lay 
down  their  lives  in  defence  of  their  faith,  instead  of  a 
licentious  band  of  adventurers  meditating  one  of  the  most 
atrocious  acts  of  perfidy  in  the  record  of  history ! Yet  whatever 
were  the  vices  of  the  Castilian  cavalier,  hypocrisy  was  not 
among  the  number.  He  felt  that  he  was  battling  for  the 
cross,  and  under  this  conviction,  at  that  moment  exalted  into  a 
predominant  impulse,  he  was  blind  to  the  baser  motives  which 
mingled  with  the  enterprise.  . . . Too  proud  for  hypocrisy, 
he  committed  more  cruelties  in  the  name  of  the  Christian 
religion  than  were  ever  practised  by  the  pagan  idolater  or 
fanatical  Moslem.  It  is  a melancholy  and  mortifying  con- 

1 Quoted  by  H.  W.  Brown,  Latin  America. 


338  THE  LAND  OF  THE  CHRISTLESS  CROSS 


sideration  that  the  most  uncompromising  spirit  of  intolerance 
— the  spirit  of  the  Inquisition  at  home,  and  of  the  Crusader 
abroad — should  have  emanated  from  a religion  which  preached 
peace  on  earth  and  good  will  towards  men ! ” 

From  the  Church  of  their  land  to-day  Peruvians  learn 
little  more  of  the  true  meaning  of  the  cross  than  did  the 
original  Incas  from  the  Conquerors.  In  the  cathedrals  the 
tragedy  of  the  cross  is  centred  in  the  agonized  figure  of 
“ Mary  the  Sad  ” ; it  was  she  “ who  in  infinite  suffering  gave 
light  to  all  sinners  on  Calvary.” 

In  the  doctrines  taught  by  the  Church  the  conquests  of 
the  cross  are  celebrated,  but  the  Christ  forgotten.  In  the 
lives  of  the  priests  there  is  the  holding  up  of  the  symbol,  the 
constant  sign  of  the  cross,  but  no  observance  of  Christ’s  moral 
laws,  no  participation  in  His  Spirit. 

A Christless  cross ! If  Peru  shall  learn  to  know  no  other, 
“ then  is  Christ  dead  in  vain.” 

Moonlight  flooded  the  valley  sleeping  below  Auzangati’s 
snows,  and  the  road  which  we  were  following  into  Cuzco 
was  strangely  white.  Suddenly  a shadow  fell  upon  us ; 
and  looking  up,  I saw  a rude  cross  standing  black  against 
the  star-strewn  sky.  There,  in  the  silence  of  an  Andean 
night,  the  significance  of  that  symbol  became  overpowering. 
Would  it  have  meant  more  to  Peru,  perchance,  had  it  meant 
more  to  me  ? Had  my  religion  ever  lacked  reality,  and  the 
Cross  shadowed  a life  which  was  not  softened  and  sanctified 
by  its  influence  ? Had  I allowed  the  Saviour  to  go  for  me 
the  way  of  Calvary,  and  yet  expected  for  myself  a bed  of 
roses  ? 

The  message  of  that  wayside  symbol  still  rings  in  my 
ears — 

“The  way  of  the  Cross  means  sacrifice. 

As  to  God  yon  yield  your  all, 

To  be  laid  on  the  altar,  the  place  of  death, 

Where  fire  will  surely  fall. 


“ ARE  YOU  ? ” 


339 


’Tis  the  way  of  the  Cross,  are  you  willing  for  this? 

What  does  bearing  the  Cross  mean  to  you — 

You  who’ve  given  yourself,  your  all  to  God? — 

To  God  are  you  wholly  true?” 

“ Whosoever  will  come  after  Me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and 
take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  Me.” 


Chapter  XXX. — Our  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes — 

In  the  kneeling  croioil  around  the  hlack  god  of  the  Indians 
— A thrilling  scene  in  the  Cuzco  Cathedral — The  jewels  of 
Nuestro  Sehor — His  “ miracidous  ” powers — The  wonderful 
feast  in  honour  of  the  Indians  idol — How  unsatisfied  soids  are 
driven  to  the  shrine  of  the  fiery  god,  alcohol. 


341 


CHAPTER  XXX 


OUR  LORD  OF  THE  EARTHQUAKES 

“ Wells  without  water  . . . ” — Peter. 

WOULD  you  know  what  the  Cross  of  Christ  means  to  the 
Inca  Indians  ? Tlien  come  and  kneel  with  them  in  the 
presence  of  their  “ god  ” — a miraculous  image  which  bears  the 
strange  name,  “ Our  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes.” 

We  are  in  the  nave  of  the  cathedral.  A crowd  of  Indians 
kneel  around,  and  eveiy  form  is  turned  towards  Nuestro  Senor. 
One  adoring  face  is  that  of  an  old  woman,  ghastly  with  the 
greyness  of  surely  approaching  death.  Her  wasted  features 
and  the  folds  of  the  white  cloth  about  her  forehead  might  be 
carved  in  marble,  save  that  her  lips  continuously  move.  A 
beautiful  young  woman  kneels  beside  her,  with  the  features  and 
rapt  expression  of  a Madonna.  Great  mournful  black  eyes  and 
dark  hair  are  visible  beneath  her  rough  reboso,  from  under  the 
corners  of  which  a wee  girl  peeps,  nestling  like  a fledgling 
under  its  mother’s  wing.  Men  are  there  also,  awkward  dirty 
fellows,  who  have  placed  great  coloured  hats  on  the  floor, 
thrown  back  their  ponchos,  and  now  kneel  with  their  hands 
pathetically  clasped  in  mute  ignorant  appeal  to  the  gigantic 
silent  image. 

The  figure  on  the  cross  is  of  mahogany,  its  colour  rich  with 
age ; the  beard  and  hair  are  long,  soft,  and  black.  The  thorn- 
marked  brow  and  bleeding  wounds  are  not  gfruesome  ; the  imaore 
is  a powerful  representation  of  perfect  beauty  in  unutterable 
anguish.  Beneath  a purple  canopy  it  hangs  on  a richly 

343 


344  OUR  LORD  OF  THE  EARTHQUAKES 


ornamented  cross  mounted  upon  a magnificent  carved  silver 
pedestal,  and  gazes  down  at  the  upturned  faces  — thorn- 
crowned,  blood-stained,  mysterious,  awful  in  the  gloom. 

“ The  black  god  of  the  Indians  ! ” Oh,  bitterness  of  tragedy 
that  such  a name  should  be  applied  to  a figure  of  Christ ! For 
this  image  has  no  more  Christian  significance  than  a Chinese 
idol.  Paganism  is  pitiful  and  revolting  — that  man,  made 
in  the  image  of  God,  should  kneel  before  wood  and  stone. 
But  here  is  a greater  pity,  a more  repulsive  horror ! Our 
Saviour  is  worshipped  as  an  idol.  A wooden  image  is  called  by 
His  name.  Miracles  are  attributed  to  this — a dead  representa- 
tion of  the  Living  God. 

Our  Christ  is  “ the  black  orod  of  the  Indians  ” ! 

O 


On  September  16th  a feast  was  celebrated  in  the  cathedral 
of  Cuzco  by  Mass  and  a sermon.  The  nave  was  thronged  with 
kneeling  people ; all  the  Municipality  in  cocked  hats,  braid,  and 
gold,  were  present ; and  the  soldiers  were  drawn  up  outside,  the 
band  playing  stirring  military  marches. 

The  first  part  of  “ Misa  ” is  over,  and  incense  still  clouds  the 
altar,  when  a Franciscan  friar  ascends  into  the  seldom-used 
pulpit  and  stands  for  some  seconds  gazing  silently  at  the 
upturned  faces.  Then  in  a strong  clear  voice,  Chri.st’s  prophetic 
words  resound : — 

“ As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so 
must  the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up.” 

Once  again  there  is  a pause,  while  ejms  instinctively  wander 
from  the  burly  figure  of  the  brown-robed  monk  to  the 
great  image  looming  above  the  altar.  The  eyes  of  the 
preacher  are  on  it  also  until  he  suddenly  turns  towards  the 
congregation,  and  allows  the  fire  of  his  eloquence  to  break 
forth.  He  is  delivering  a eulogy  on  the  Cx’oss — inspired  with 
its  powei*,  and  apparently  forgetful  of  all  but  the  triumph  of  its 
conquests.  His  oratory  is  masterly,  his  words  thrilling,  his 
spirit  contagious.  The  climax  is  reached  — and  with  a 


FORGOTTEN  1 


345 


dramatic  gesture,  the  Franciscan  turns  in  the  pulpit,  and 
stretching  out  his  arms  towards  the  image,  addresses  his  last 
few  words  of  impassioned  eulogy  to  the  cross  itself.  Then 
there  is  silence  again.  He  has  celebrated  the  cross  and 
forgotten  the  Christ ! ^ 

The  preacher  has  seated  himself,  and  many  eyes  are  turned 
to  the  image.  In  honour  of  the  feast  all  its  riches  are  displayed. 
Above  the  crown  of  thorns  is  set  a golden  crown  of  immense 
weight.  The  diamonds  which  shine  in  the  nails  piercing  the 
feet  and  hands  of  the  figure  on  the  cross  are  said  to  be  worth 
hundreds  of  pounds.  The  purple  satin  skirt  which  hangs  about 
it  is  resplendent  with  gold  and  precious  stones.  Thus  has  Peru 
honoured  the  “ god  ” ! 

Nuestro  Senor  de  los  Temhlores — of  the  origin  of  the  name 
I know  nothing  certainly.  Some  say  that  the  image  entered 
Cuzco  for  the  first  time  during  a series  of  terrible  earthquakes 
which  ceased  immediately  Nuestro  Senor  was  installed  in  the 
cathedral.  Others  say  that  on  a certain  occasion  the  saints 
had  failed  to  put  a stop  to  the  seismic  shocks  which  were 
threatening  to  destroy  the  city.  When  all  other  remedies  had 
been  exhausted,  the  god  of  the  Indians  was  brought  from  the 
cathedral,  and  immediately  the  earthquakes  ceased.  The  fame 
of  this  miracle  naturally  spread,  and  the  image  became  known 
as  Our  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes. 

Arequipa  may  be  shaken  or  destroyed,  but  the  Cuzqueno 
firmly  believes  that  his  city  is  safe  through  the  miraculous 
power  of  its  god.  In  times  when  the  capital  of  the  Incas  is 
very  seriously  shaken,  the  image  is  carried  round  the  town, 
and  wailing  processions  follow  it,  the  women  bearing  crosses 
on  their  shoulders,  and  wearing  their  hair  loose  and  in  disorder. 
Invariably  their  prayers  are  answered,  and  the  Lord  of  the 

' 111  spite  of  the  fact  that  its  oratory  covered  no  Gospel  truth,  this  was  a 
very  remarkable  sermon  for  Cuzco.  The  usual  topics  chosen  hy  Cuzqueno 
preachers  are  the  worship  of  Mary  or  the  virtues  of  one  of  her  images. 


346  OUR  LORD  OF  THE  EARTHQUAKES 


Earthquakes  protects  Cuzco  from  disaster.  Many  are  the 
stories  told  to-day  of  his  miracles,  and  pathetic  is  the  faith 
and  awe-stricken  worship  which  the  ignorant  people  render 
to  him  ! 

We  arrived  in  Cuzco  just  too  late  to  see  the  famous  feast  of 
Nucstro  Senor,  but  I quote  the  account  given  by  Mr.  M^Nairn 
of  the  heart-rending  scenes  which  he  witnessed  on  that 
memoi’able  March  26th  : — 

“ Across  the  great  plaza,  where  for  centuides  his  devotees 
rendered  him  adoring  worship.  Inti,  the  sun-god,  flings  his  last 
beams,  ere  passing  to  rest  behind  the  mountain  rampart  that 
girds  the  time-worn  city.  In  the  east,  the  snows  of  Auzangati 
glow  a crimson  farewell,  and  over  the  great  valley  that  lies 
between,  falls  the  hush  of  coming  night. 

“ In  Cuzco  itself  the  same  spirit  broods,  but  the  hush  is  one 
of  expectancy,  of  suppressed  excitement,  and  awe-stricken  rest- 
lessness. Something  is  about  to  happen.  The  city  waits ; the 
crowds  that  throng  the  great  plaza  wait;  Nature  itself  seems 
to  wait. 

“ Tlirough  the  old  Inca  streets,  between  walls  of  massive 
masonry  whose  every  stone  speaks  of  bygone  glory,  under 
echoing  portals  where  the  conquering  grandees  of  old  Spain 
were  wont  to  pass,  pours  an  eager,  expectant  throng.  Not  the 
bustling,  noisy,  clamouring  crowd  one  meets  in  other  cities ; 
for  Cuzco  is  like  no  other  city,  and  the  spirit  which  liaunts 
this  grim  old  citadel  of  long  ago  ever  casts  its  spell  upon  the 
people,  and  bids  them  go  softly  as  they  who  tread  where  the 
great  dead  have  passed.  To-night  the  unusual  hush  is  only 
accentuated  by  the  quiet  pattering  of  numberless  bare  feet  on 
the  worn  stones. 

“ A strange  crowd  is  this  which  flows  past  us,  a crowd  quaint 
and  picturesque  to  a degree,  a crowd  that  has  nothing  in 
common  with  the  age — an  Indian  crowd.  Indians  of  the  Sierra, 
Indians  of  the  Puno,  Indians  from  the  snows  of  the  Cordilleras, 


IN  MOURNING  FOR  THEIR  UNKNOWN  LORD  347 


Indians  from  the  tropical  valleys  of  the  Montana;  faces  dark 
as  polished  mahogany,  faces  pale  as  the  olive,  pass  in  endless 
variety  as  they  push  their  silent  way  towards  the  great  plaza. 

“ And  what  an  eye  for  colour  have  these  quiet  dark-skinned 
folk  ! Ponchos  striped  like  the  rainbowq  fringed  or  plain,  that 
tell  from  whence  they  come ; hats  of  blue  and  silver ; skirts 
and  shawls  cunningly  woven  from  the  wool  of  the  llama,  or 
the  beautiful  and  rare  vicuna,  and  tastefully  dyed  with  rich 
and  brilliant  colours — all  blend  into  one  harmonious  and  ever- 
changing  scheme  in  the  mellow  light  of  the  setting  sun. 

“ But  a more  sombre  thread  is  not  wanting  in  this  many 
coloured  fabric,  for  the  crowd  is  not  exclusively  composed  of 
Indians.  Here  in  haughty  aloofness  stalks  a black-coated 
Caballero  (gentleman).  There  a group  of  sehoritas  in  black  silk, 
and  black  lace  mantillas,  draw  aside  their  skirts  as  some  Indian 
brushes  too  close.  At  the  corners  stand  groups  of  students, 
pitifully  indifferent  to  the  wealth  of  interest  in  this  wonderful 
Indian  crowd,  and  with  eyes  for  nothing  but  the  faces  beneath 
the  mantillas — all  in  sombre  black,  for  this  is  the  season  of  Lent, 
and  all  dutiful  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Church  are  in  mourn- 
ing for  their  unknown  Lord. 

O 

“ And  still  we  wait.  And  still  the  crowd  in  the  great  plaza 
grows  denser  as  the  converging  streams  mingle  and  lose  them- 
selves in  the  many  coloured  sea.  A strange  silence  reigns ; the 
hush  grows  more  intense.  The  shadows  stretch  far  across  the 
plaza.  Inti  is  passing  from  the  scene  of  his  former  glory,  and 
it  is  well.  It  is  not  meet  that  he  should  look  upon  that  which 
is  about  to  happen — that  his  beams  should  lend  light  or  colour 
to  the  god  who  has  usurped  his  place.  Quickly  the  shadows 
creep  up  the  face  of  the  cathedral,  and  this  alien  temple  is 
wrapped  in  the  gloom  of  the  coming  night.  For  a moment 
Inti’s  beams  regretfully  linger  on  the  dome  of  the  building 
which  was  once  his  shrine,  and  then  he  is  gone. 

“ Far  away  in  the  east,  Auzangati,  the  faithful,  still  gazes 
upon  her  lord,  and  long  after  he  has  passed  from  sight  the 


348  OUR  LORD  OF  THE  EARTHQUAKES 


glow  that  lingers  on  her  snowy  face  tells  that  her  dreams  are 
far  away  from  the  scene  of  alien  worship  in  the  unfaithful 
City  of  the  Sun. 

“ The  colour  has  now  faded  from  Cuzco,  and  all  is  grey. 
But,  as  though  this  were  the  long-anticipated  moment,  the 
vast  crowd  presses  nearer  to  the  great  cathedral ; then  its 
massive  doors  swing  open,  and  there  emerges  that  for  which 
we  have  waited — the  one  before  whose  coming  the  worship  of 
Inti  has  passed  like  a dimly  remembered  dream — the  god  of 
the  Indians,  Our  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes. 

“Upborne  on  the  shoulders  of  a hundred  Indians,  who 
stagger  ’neath  their  mighty  load,  is  a great  pedestal  of  solid  and 
cunningly  wrought  silver.  From  this  there  rises  a towering 
cross,  and,  on  the  cross,  with  outstretched  arms  and  drooping 
head,  is  the  figure  of  the  crucified  Man  of  Calvary. 

“ Night  comes  on  apace,  but  there  is  yet  light  to  be  gathered 
up  and  flashed  back  in  a thousand  broken  colours  from  the 
wealth  of  gems  that  stud  the  cloth  about  the  loins.  But  in 
the  awesome  figure  the  darkness  seems  to  have  embodied 
itself ; for  it  is  dark,  yea,  darker  far  than  any  of  the  thousand 
dusky  faces  upturned  to  it  in  adoration. 

“ Slowly  the  procession  advances  through  the  ranks  of  the 
kneeling  Indians,  many  of  whom  are  prostrate  on  their  faces. 
The  chanting  of  the  richly  robed  priests  who  walk  before 
mingles  with  the  solemn  music  of  the  military  band  that 
follows.  Clouds  of  incense  rise  from  swinging  censers ; the 
murmur  of  the  praying  multitudes  is  as  a sound  of  many 
waters — while  slowly  the  conquering  god  passes  through  the 
darkening  streets  of  the  ancient  City  of  the  Sun. 

“ How  strange  and  how  powerful  is  the  fijyell  which  the 
dead  image  of  a Living  Reality  exercises  over  the  crowds  that 
throng  its  way ! The  group  of  sneering  students  grows 
strangely  silent,  and  the  cynical  laugh  dies  on  their  lips,  as 
with  bared  heads  they  watch  the  great  figure  approach.  Tlie 
richly  dressed  senoritas  cease  their  empty  chatter,  and  the  lips 


NOTHING  BEYOND! 


349 


of  some  move  as  though  in  involuntary  prayer.  But  it  is 
among  the  vast  concourse  of  Indians  that  its  influence  is  most 
marked.  Few  remain  standing  except  where  their  densely 
packed  ranks  prevent  them  from  kneeling.  Every  head  is 
bared,  hands  are  clasped  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  and  the 
strained  tense  look  on  every  face  tells  of  the  emotion  roused 
in  their  poor  hearts  by  the  presence  of  this  awe-inspiring 
image — The  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes. 

“ Oh,  the  pity  of  it  all ! Oh,  the  infinite  possibilities  in  this 
worshipping  multitude ! Oh,  the  wealth  of  devotion  lavished 
upon  this  meaningless  image — for  to  them  it  has  no  meaning, 
there  is  nothing  beyond  ! 

“ Look  at  the  old  withered  face  of  this  Indian  near  to  us, 
whose  worn  sandals  and  dusty  legs  tell  of  many  a weary 
league  over  mountain  and  plain.  Look  at  the  yearning, 
hungry  gaze  of  his  upturned  eyes,  longing  for  a something  he 
does  not  understand.  Year  after  year  has  he  come  thus  to 
worship,  and  still  he  is  hungry,  still  unsatisfied ; and  soon  he 
will  be  passing  out  into  the  dark,  without  hope,  without  God. 

“ Look  at  this  young  mother  kneeling  on  the  rough  stones 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  crowd,  her  little  bundle  of  food  for  the 
journey  wrapped  in  a poncho  by  her  side ; look  how  she  holds 
up  her  babe,  folding  the  chubby  hands  in  front,  and  wistfully 
hoping  that  a blessing  may  reach  her  little  one.  Look  at  the 
children  kneeling  with  clasped  hands,  and  gazing  wonderingly 
at  the  great  image  as  it  slowly  passes. 

“And  this  is  how  Rome  fulfils  the  charge  of  the  Great 
Shepherd  whose  words  to  Peter  she  specially  claims  for 
herself — ‘ Feed  my  sheep.’ 

“ Darkness  is  deepening ; the  light  is  fading  from  the  western 
sky,  and  quiet  stars  are  beginning  to  appear.  The  swaying 
black  figure  looms  weird  and  gigantic  in  the  gloom,  and  its 
staggering  Indian  bearers  are  groaning  beneath  their  tre- 
mendous burden.  But  still  through  the  incense-clouds  the 
monotonous  chant  of  the  priests  ascends,  and  the  white-robed 


350  OUR  LORD  OF  THE  EARTHQUAKES 


monks  glimmer  ghostly  in  the  gathering  shadows  of  the 
streets. 

“ The  circuit  of  the  city  has  been  completed,  and  the  proces- 
sion again  enters  the  great  plaza,  where  even  a larger  concourse 
is  assembled  to  bid  the  god  farewell  than  that  which  awaited 
its  advent;  for  as  the  procession  passes  through  each  street, 
the  crowds  rise  from  their  knees,  and  hurrying  by  byways, 
await  its  re-arrival  in  the  plaza. 

“ Through  this  living  sea  of  worshippers  the  procession  passes 
to  the  cathedral  doors.  Here  there  is  a pause.  A death-like 
silence  falls  upon  the  multitudes.  Then,  through  the  darkness, 
the  impressive  figure  is  seen  to  slowly  bow  three  times,  and  to 
disappear  in  the  darkness  of  the  unlit  cathedral,  whose  great 
doors  close  behind  it  like  the  very  gates  of  death.  Then  the 
pent-up  feelings  of  the  multitude  break  forth  in  such  a wail  as 
surely  can  only  be  equalled  in  the  regions  of  the  lost.  Again 
and  again  it  rises  to  heaven,  that  long-drawn  wail  of  anguish 
from  the  hungry  hearts  of  a down-trodden  nation.^  They 
have  seen  their  god  for  a brief  hour,  and  now  he  is  taken  from 
them  for  another  year. 

“ The  wailing  dies  away,  and  the  multitude  melts  in  the 
dai’kness.  Will  Cuzco  to-night  be  filled  with  rejoicing  souls 
who  have  been  fed  and  refreshed  in  spirit  ? Will  the  quiet 
stars  look  down  upon  homes  where  the  Star  of  Bethlehem  has 
rested  ? Will  Inti  on  the  morrow  rise  upon  a city  which  has 
been  illuminated  by  the  Greater  Sun  of  Righteousness  ? 

“ Alas  ! These  joyless  souls,  in  their  ignorance  of  any  greater 
comfort,  must  seek  it  in  forgetfulness.  Men,  women,  and 
children  will  go  from  their  worship  of  Our  Lord  of  the  Earth- 
quakes to  offer  homage  at  another  shrine,  where,  in  a thousand 
chicharias,  the  fiery  god  alcohol  is  waiting  to  minister  to  them.” 

^ This  pathetic  cry  is  a prayer  for  blessing  on  the  homes,  the  crops,  and 
the  llamas  belonging  to  the  worshippers  of  Our  Lord  of  the  Earthquakes. 


(C)  ROMANISM,  A MORAL  PESTILENCE, 

Chapter  XXXI. — The  Peruvian  Priesthood — 

A town  where  there  is  one  jjricst  or  friar  to  every  thirty 
individuals — Hov)  professing  ministers  of  the  Gospel  are  leaders 
in  immorality,  avarice,  and  drunkenness — Blind  guides  which 
strain  at  a gnat  and  swallow  a camel — A word-picture  of  the 
priests  with  whom  perforce  loe  7nust  travel  in  Peru  — The 
measxcre  of  their  fathers. 


35' 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


THE  PERUVIAN  PRIESTHOOD 

“ . . , Such  as  for  their  bellies’  sake 
Creep,  aud  intrude,  and  climb  into  the  fold  ! 

Blind  mouths  ! that  scarce  themselves  know  how  to  hold 
A sheep-hook,  or  have  learn’d  aught  else,  the  least 
That  to  the  faithful  herdman’s  art  belongs!” — Milton. 

IN  Peru,  Protestantism  must  face  not  only  a pretentious 
ceremonialism,  but  also  the  moral  corruption  which  it  fails 
to  cover.  Two  mistaken  principles  form  the  foundation  of  this 
system  of  evil : firstly,  sacerdotalism ; and  secondly,  celibacyL 
In  early  ages  the  power  of  the  priesthood  grew  with  the 
increasing  importance  given  to  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  the 
Confessional,  and  later  to  the  Pope.  Roman  Catholic  countries 
are  subjected  to  a great  spiritual  despotism,  which  so  far 
invades  the  prerogative  of  Deity  as  to  claim  right  to  absolve 
from  sin  and  from  its  punishment ; to  impart  renewing  and 
sanctifying  grace ; to  control  and  judge  conscience  and  thought ; 
to  make  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  living  and  dead ; and  to 
dispose  of  destinies  in  the  invisible  world. 

This  sin  of  assumption  has  in  every  age  brought  the  most 
terrible  results  upon  both  priest  and  people.  The  former  is 
almost  invariably  corrupted  by  his  false  position,  so  that  in 
some  centuries  the  sin  of  the  priesthood  has  been  unequalled  in 
any  other  class. 

Nevertheless,  this  priestly  doctrine,  as  a well-known  writer 
has  said,  “ marvellously  suits  the  weakness  of  human  nature. 
To  the  clerical  order  it  means  the  pride  of  caste ; to  the 


354 


THE  PERUVIAN  PRIESTHOOD 


devotees  it  means  the  handing  over  of  the  responsibility  of 
their  salvation  to  priests;  and  it  inevitably  leads  to  the  Con- 
fessional, which  enfeebles  the  conscience  and  promotes  gross 
immorality,  though  adopted  perhaps  with  sincere  desire  for 
holiness  of  life.”  ^ 

Peru  has  one  archbishop,  seven  bishops,  and  friars  and 
priests  of  every  description,  apparently  without  number.  In 
addition  to  the  numerous  convents  and  monasteries  which  these 
possess,  they  own  a large  number  of  the  wealthiest  haciendas, 
and,  throuufh  their  agents,  control  much  of  the  busine.ss  of  the 
country.  In  Arequipa,  there  is  one  priest  or  friar  to  eveiy 
thirty  individuals,  and  the  number  is  continually  increased  by 
those  who  have  been  expelled  from  France,  and  who  are  now 
having  a pernicious  influence  on  the  Peruvian  Catholics,  by 
inciting  their  animosity  against  men  of  Liberal  ideas. 

With  few  exceptions,  the  priests  of  Peru  are  of  a low  class, 
uneducated,  illiterate,  and  vulgar.  In  the  villages  of  the  desert 
and  of  the  Sierra  they  are  often  so  isolated  as  to  be  practically 
independent,  and  by  the  Indians  are  treated  as  kings  and  gods. 
They  are  held  in  reverence  by  ladies  of  the  most  influential 
Peruvian  families,  and  in  spite  of  growing  spiritualism  and 
agnosticism,  still  maintain  their  sw'ay. 

These  priests  are  trained  in  monastic  schools,  where,  alas ! 
Satan  is  degrading  the  manhood  of  those  who  should  be 
shepherds  of  souls.  For  these  unfortunate  novices  our  hearts 
ache,  and  we  plead  help  and  redemption  from  the  favoured 
manhood  of  Christendom.  But  for  those  who  uphold  this 
system  for  the  sake  of  the  temporal  power  it  gives,  knowing 
well  its  true  character  and  inevitable  results — for  these  we 
have  only  righteous  indignation.  Jesus  Christ  was  not  always 
meek  and  mild.  He  could  rise  up  with  blazing  eyes  and  a 
whip  of  small  cords  in  His  hand,  so  that  the  avaricious  Jews 
of  the  Temple  money-tables  fled  from  Him  in  fear ; He  could 
send  a message  of  such  ringing  scorn  and  sarcasm  as  even  the 
* Samuel  Smith,  M.P.,  The  Claims  of  Rtnae. 


A Study 

Dare  to  look  into  tlie  face.  Tlie  photo  tells  more  about  the 
Peruvian  priesthood  than  can  any  -words. 


35S 


I t 


“WOE  UNTO  YOU” 


357 


godless  Herod  must  have  winced  at ; He  could  rise  from  the 
Pharisee’s  table  in  indignation  at  the  unexpressed  thoughts  of 
that  punctilious  hypocrite,  and  utter  a curse  upon  priestcraft 
which  the  most  burning  righteous  anger  has  never  equalled, 
in  its  eloquence  and  fearless  justice.  When  Jesus  Christ 
denounced  the  evils  of  the  regime  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
He  exposed  the  principles  which  are  working  to  this  day  in 
every  such  system. 

Do  the  priests  of  Peru,  then,  merit  Christ’s  denunciation  ? 
Has  the  result  of  their  so-called  spiritual  sway  been  corruption  ? 
Have  they  resisted  the  truth?  Has  their  judgment  become 
distorted  ? Have  they  been  guilty  of  avarice  and  hypocrisy  ? 
Do  they  belong  to  an  evil  succession  ? 

Let  us  test  these  six  woes,  one  by  one,  in  their  application 
to  the  Peruvian  priesthood. 

“ Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hyiiocrites  ! for  ye 
compass  the  sea  and  kind  to  make  one  proselyte,  and  when 
he  is  made,  ye  make  him  twofold  more  the  child  of  hell  than 
yourselves.” 

Could  words  more  justly  describe  the  Roman  Catholicism 
of  Peru  ? Every  ship  which  brought  the  Conquerors  to  tlie 
land  of  the  Incas,  carried  Dominican  friars.  These  rounded 
the  tempestuous  Horn,  or  crossed  the  fever  zone  of  the  Isthmus ; 
they  toiled  over  the  Pacific  desert ; climbed  the  mighty  Andes  ; 
penetrated  the  dense  forests  of  the  Amazon — and  all  for  the 
conversion  of  the  Children  of  the  Sun.  But  the  noble  Indian 
race  which  they  found  in  Peru  has  been  debased  by  their 
contact ; and  to-day,  instead  of  the  healthy  regime  of  the  Incas, 
immorality,  drunkenness,  and  crime  abound. 

But  are  the  priests  responsible  for  this  state  of  things  ? 
Have  they  not  done  their  best  to  restrain  it  ? Hear  the 
testimony  of  one  who  has  seen. 

The  priests  are  the  leaders  in  immoi’ality,  and  their  de.spotism 
makes  anything  else  impossible.  The  curas  with  whom  one 


358 


THE  PERUVIAN  PRIESTHOOD 


comes  in  contact  in  the  villages  of  Peru  are  drunken,  degraded 
illiterate,  and  notoriously  wicked. 

So  great  was  the  scandal  in  connection  with  the  life  of  a 
priest  in  Urubamba,  (where,  be  it  remembered,  public  opinion  is 
not  easily  shocked !)  that  shortly  before  I arrived  in  Peru,  the 
townfolk  rose  against  him.  Three  young  men  met  him,  held 
pistols  to  his  head,  and  bade  him  leave  the  place  within  half 
an  hour.  Nor  did  they  let  him  out  of  their  sight  until  the 
command  was  obeyed. 

It  has  been  truly  said  that  conventual  establishments  have 
proved  a terrible  scourge  in  all  Papal  countries,  and  certainly  of 
the  monasteries  of  Peru  no  truthful  description  fit  for  publication 
can  be  written.  Lack  of  occupation  drives  the  unfortunate 
novices  to  quarrelling  and  immorality ; yet  the  priesthood  of 
Peru  is  supplied  by  those  who  have  lived  from  perhaps  eleven 
years  of  age  in  these  schools  of  vice. 

Of  the  scandalous  and  heart-rending  abuse  made  of  the 
Confessional,  something  will  be  said  in  a later  chapter ; of  the 
horrors  of  the  miita — that  ancient  institution  whereby  the 
young  girls  of  the  village  take  it  in  turns  to  serve  in  the  priest’s 
home  for  a month  at  a time — no  more  can  be  said ; of  the  lives 
of  those  who  cannot  aftbrd  the  extortionate  fee  put  upon 
marriage  by  the  curas, — of  the  arbitrary  unions  made  by  the 
village  priest  upon  a certain  day  in  the  year  amongst  the  young 
people — what  can  be  expected  ? Alas ! the  adage  is  still  true : 
Like  priest,  like  people  ! 

The  intemperance  of  the  Peruvian  priesthood  is  proverbial ; 
even  a short  stay  in  the  country  is  sufficient  to  convince  one 
of  the  fact  that  the  priests  arc  leaders  in  drunkenness. 
Religious  festivals  are  the  great  occasions  for  drinking,  and 
this  practice  is  allowed  and  sometimes  required  by  the  ministers 
of  the  Church.  The  following  (luotation  is  a translation  of  an 
advertisement  which  appeared  in  a local  paper  of  Guayaquil, 
Ecuador,  a few  years  ago.  The  methods  adopted  by  the  priests 
of  Naranjita  (the  town  of  the  Little  Orange)  to  inculcate  piety 


^‘THE  END  JUSTIFIES  THE  MEANS”  359 

are  characteristic  of  those  of  the  Curas  Peruanos  (Peruvian 
priests). 

“ On  27th  November  will  take  place,  in  the  town  of  Naranjita, 
the  feast  of  the  Virgin  of  Sorrows.  There  will  be  bull-fights 
on  the  26th  and  27th,  and  on  Sunday  curiquingues  (a  comic 
dance),  horse-races,  sack-races,  cock-fights,  greased  pole,  fire- 
works, gambling  permitted  by  the  law,  and  various  other 
amu.sements.  The  faithful  and  devout  are  invited  to  assist  at 
the  said  feast.” 

The  crimes  of  Peru  are  largely  occasioned  by  the  Jesuitical 
conception  that  the  end  justifies  the  means.  In  a town  not  far 
from  Cuzco,  the  Indians,  at  the  instigation  of  the  priest,  lately 
murdered  a Liberal  gentleman  living  in  the  district,  staining  the 
plaza  and  streets  with  his  blood,  as  they  dragged  the  body  down 
to  the  river. 

At  the  priest’s  instigation,  and  with  his  absolution,  any 
crime  is  Justifiable,  and  as  the  moral  ideal  of  the  country  thus 
becomes  degraded,  sin  increasingly  abounds. 

Surely  Christ’s  denunciation  is  merited  by  the  priesthood  of 
Peru  ! They  have  proselytized  only  to  corrupt. 

“ Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! for  ye 
shut  top  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against  men ; for  ye  neither 
go  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering  to 
go  in.” 

The  story  of  missionary  work  in  Peru  will,  when  published, 
afford  abundant  proof  to  any  unbiased  mind,  of  the  truth  of 
this  statement  as  applied  to  the  priests  and  monks  of  Peru. 
They  have  urged  the  mob  to  stone  or  murder  the  missionaries, 
and  have  used  against  them  guile  and  slandei’. 

Again,  in  their  treatment  of  the  Bible  they  have  fulfilled 
these  words  of  Christ : in  nearly  every  town  and  village  of 
Peru,  some  zealous  cura  has  collected  the  Bible  Society’s  Gospels 
and  Testaments  and  burned  them  in  the  public  plaza.  Beneatli 
the  walls  of  the  Inquisition  building  in  Lima  it  was  so;  in 


THE  PERUVIAN  PRIESTHOOD 


360 

Arequipa,  Sicuani,  Ayacucho,  and  numerous  other  centres  of 
population.  In  Callao  and  Arequipa  colporteurs  were  im- 
prisoned ; in  Tiahudnuco  another  was  stoned  and  left  for  dead 
at  the  road-side ; in  Bolivia  a native  worker  was  murdered ; in 
all  parts  of  the  Sierra  these  brave  Bible-sellers  have  been 
molested  and  often  wounded. 

In  their  denial  of  the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Gospel 
the  priests  have  merited  this  stern  denunciation.  They  preach 
salvation  by  works,  not  by  faith;  succour  and  eternal  safety 
through  Mary,  not  through  Jesus  Christ ; guidance  for  daily 
life  through  the  priest,  not  through  the  Bible. 

This  is  not  Christianity ! Even  as  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees  of  old,  these  will  not  enter  into  the  truth  nor  suffer 
others  to  go  in. 

“ Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! for 
ye  pay  tithe  of  mint  and  anise  and  cximmin,  and  have  omitted 
the  weightier  matters  of  the  law — judgment,  mercy,  and  faith. 
These  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leai)e  the  other  undone. 
Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a gnat,  and  swallow  a camel ! ” 

So  true  is  this  principle  in  the  lives  of  the  Peruvian  priests 
that  it  seems  their  own  mental  powers  have  become  distorted. 
They  have  taught  the  letter  instead  of  the  spirit  of  the  law  so 
long  that  they  cannot  now  see  in  proper  moral  perspective. 

In  their  view  of  history  they  truly  strain  at  a gnat  and 
swallow  a camel.  The  horrors  of  the  Inquisition,  the  im- 
morality of  the  Popes  of  the  eleventh  and  fifteenth  centuries 
are  lost  sight  of ; but  the  depths  of  villainy  in  Luther,  the  sins 
and  nemesis  which  overtook  Zwingle,  the  evil  renown  of 
Wycliffe, — these  allegations  are  their  especial  studies. 

According  to  the  account  of  a learned  priest,  a prebendarj^ 
and  member  of  the  council  of  the  archdiocese  of  Santiago,  the 
Inquisition  was  established  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the 
lives  of  heretics,  to  rescue  them  from  the  punishment  of  death, 
and  to  aftbrd  them  an  asylum  against  the  ill-treatment  of 


“WHICH  STRAIN  AT  A GNAT” 


361 


infuriated  mobs,  to  give  lessons  of  moderation  and  l\umanity 
to  the  people,  and  point  out  to  kings  the  path  of  mercy ! It 
was  established  by  the  Catholic  Church  as  a most  precious 
guarantee  of  human  life ; and  no  sooner  did  it  begin  to  exercise 
its  benevolent  functions,  than  its  great  advantages  were 
immediately  perceived,  for  in  those  countries  where  it  was 
admitted  and  acknowledged  as  a national  institution,  the 
sciences  began  to  flourish,  universities  to  be  founded,  and 
printing  to  be  introduced ; it  encouraged  the  study  of  the 
classics,  favoured  poetry  and  fine  arts,  and  produced  an  unusual 
activity  for  scientific  investigations  ! ” ^ 

Another  priest  living  to-day  in  Peru  writes : — 

“ The  only  thing  which  Zwingle  and  Luther  did  was  to 
give  greater  range  and  development  to  the  abominable  errors 
invented  by  Wyclifie  and  Huss,  and  to  corrupt  the  ignorant 
people  with  the  attraction  of  most  shameful  licentiousness, 
impudently  preaching  that  henceforth  faith  only  was  necessary 
for  salvation,  and  that  although  one  committed  the  most  awful 
crimes,  faith  covered  anything.” 

In  their  view  of  sin,  the  pi'iests  show  the  same  mental 
deformity : the  reading  of  God’s  Word,  charity  to  needy 
Protestants — these  are  sins  for  which  only  many  months  of 
penance  can  atone ; but  crime  at  the  instigation  of  the  priest — 
the  murder  of  heretics,  for  example — is  acceptable  to  God. 

Thus  do  the  priests  strain  at  a gnat,  and  swallow  a 
camel ! 

Their  view  of  spiritual  things  is  equally  distorted.  The 
infallibility  of  the  Church,  and  superstitions  about  the  images 
of  virgins  and  saints,  have  almost  entirely  usurped  tlie  place  of 
Gospel  truths.  Practical  Christianity,  the  ensample  of  the  life 
of  Jesus,  faith,  love,  and  temperance — these  are  forgotten.  As 
we  have  alread}'^  seen,®  their  sermons  teach  not  the  Gospel  or 

1 James  W.  Duffy,  D.D.,  Preface  to  Translation  of  Francisco  Moyen : or 
Tile  Inquisition  as  it  was  in  South  America,  by  B.  Vicuna  Mackenna. 

2 Chapter  XXTV. 


THE  PERUVIAN  PRIESTHOOD 


362 

the  contents  of  the  Bible,  but  merely  the  virtues  and  histories 
of  saints. 

Alas,  that  the  denunciation  of  Christ  should  be  so  fully 
merited  by  any  religious  teachers  in  this,  the  twentieth 
century ! 

“ Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! for 
ye  devour  widows’  houses,  and  for  a pretence  make  long 
prayers : therefore  ye  shall  receive  the  greater  damnation.” 

Of  the  avarice  shown  by  the  Peruvian  priests  in  their 
dealings  with  the  poor,  examples  too  numerous  to  record  come 
to  mind.  Suffice  it  to  quote  Don  Fernando  Casds,'  who  from 
experience  knew  that  the  curas  “ live  for  making  money  and 
trading  on  the  people.” 

“ Do  the  priests,  on  the  whole,  fulfil  their  mission  by 
succouring  the  disgraced  and  unfortunate?  No;  on  the 
contrary.  Gentlemen,  the  corruption  is  the  result  of  their  evil 
sacerdotal  education.  It  is  a common  sign  of  these  disgraceful 
times,  that  between  the  priests  and  parishioners  there  is  no 
charity ; that  ti'ue  bond  of  union  that  should  unite  them  before 
God  and  man  does  not  exist.  On  the  part  of  one  there  is  the 
insatiable  desire  to  obtain  more  gain  from  his  parish,  while  on 
the  part  of  the  other  there  is  the  constant  resistance  to  the 
payment  of  the  fixed  prices  for  certain  sacraments  and 
ceremonies.  There  exists,  then,  a terrible  antagonism  between 
the  priest  who  demands  and  the  parishioner  who  resists.  And 
the  result  is  the  separation  of  the  shepherd  and  the  sheep — a 
separation.  Gentlemen,  which  gives  rise  to  the  great  scandals 
that  the  village  chronicles  relate  to  us, — scandals,  which 
occasionally  echo  across  the  summits  of  our  cordilleras,  and  are 
heard  with  horror  amidst  the  clamour  of  great  capitals.  When, 
Gentlemen,  have  the  bishops,  conforming  to  the  laws,  taken 
care  that  the  priests  did  not  oppress  the  Indians?  You  may 

^ A Discourse  on  Liberty  of  JForship,  by  Dr.  D.  Fernamlo  Casos, 
delivered  in  the  National  Assembly,  1867. 


“WHITED  SEPULCHRES”  363 

read  many  pastorales  (bishop’s  letters) — especially  those  of 
recent  date — pastorales  against  religious  indifference  ; pastorales 
asking  for  obedience  to  governors  who  have  been  criminals ; 
p>astorales  against  heretics  and  innovators;  pastorales  on  all 
questions,  Gentlemen,  but  not  one  recommending  the  clergy  in 
the  least  to  decrease  the  exactions  to  which  they  have  subjected 
the  people.  Our  legislation,  our  decrees,  their  own  laws  of  the 
Council  of  Trent  in  respect  to  this,  have  never  had  the  honour 
of  being  cited  in  the  pastorales  of  the  bishops.  For  them  none 
of  these  exist.  All  this  is  heretical,  and  destroys  the  holy 
religion  which  they  profess.” 

“ Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! for  ye 
make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the  'p^^dter,  hut 
within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and  excess.” 

“ Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for  ye 
are  like  unto  whited  sepidchres,  which  indeed  appear  beautiful 
outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead  men’s  bones,  and  of  all 
uncleanness.  Even  so  ye  also  appear  outwardly  righteous 
unto  men,  but  within  ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity.” 

Alas ! this  also  is  true  of  Peru  ! Its  priests  cover  their 
sin  and  disgrace  with  the  vestments  of  man-made  ceremonies. 
Gorgeous  robes,  velvet,  lace,  embroidery,  gold,  jewels : all  this 
is  outward.  But  within — moral  death  and  corruption. 

Look  at  some  of  the  priests  with  whom  perforce  we  must 
travel  in  Peru.  They  are  not  now  robed  in  their  rich  vestments, 
beneath  the  thousand  lighted  candles  of  a glittering  altar. 
They  are  sitting  in  our  carriage  smoking.  One  is  tall  and 
handsome;  the  hood  of  his  Franciscan  habit  is  thrown  back  in 
disorder ; his  bare  legs  and  sandalled  feet  are  stretched  across 
the  corridor ; his  fringe  of  thick  curling  hair  is  rumpled  about 
his  face ; an  inane  smile  plays  upon  his  wicked  handsome  face. 
A feeling  of  sickness,  of  horror  comes  over  us,  and  we  turn 
away.  He  is  drunk  ! This  priest  is  no  common  man.  He 
is  well  born ; well  educated ; well  provided  for — but  evil 


364 


THE  PERUVIAN  PRIESTHOOD 


is  indelibly  stamped  upon  his  strong  attractive  features,  and 
his  behaviour  such  as  would  not  be  tolerated  in  a more  moral 
land. 


“ Woe  unto  you,  scHbes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! became 
ye  build  the  tombs  of  the  i^rophets,  and  garnish  the  sepulchres 
of  the  righteous.  Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your  fathers. 
Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers,  how  can  yc  escape  the 
damnation  of  hell?” 

I have  stood  in  the  Inquisition  buildings  of  the  New  World ; 
have  seen  the  diabolical  instruments  of  torture  with  which  the 
limbs  of  heroic  men,  yea,  of  women,  were  racked ; have  walked 
the  way  those  doomed  “ heretics  ” were  led ; and  stood  where 
the  “ faithful  ” stood  to  watch  them  burned.  I have  seen  the 
table  at  which  deatli- warrants  were  signed ; the  hole  through 
which  barbarous  sentences  were  spoken.  I have  stood  in  cells 
where  suffering  Christians  lay,  and  seen  the  flag-stones  on 
which  they  breathed  their  last;  I have  stood  askance  before 
the  shrivelled  remains  of  some  unknown  woman,  who  very 
possibly  was  built  alive  into  a convent  wall ! Horrible ! 
Horrible ! Horrible  are  these  facts  concerning  the  former 
workings  of  “Christianity”  in  the  New  World.  But  Rome 
never  changes.  The  murderers  of  Jose  Mongiardino,  the  mis- 
sionary  hero  of  Bolivia ; the  persecutors  of  those  who  have  tried 
to  tell  the  story  of  Jesus  in  Peru — these  belong  to  a mighty 
host  of  popes,  prelates,  and  priests.  They  are  following  their 
fathers  to  a terrible  reward. 


Chapter  XXXII. — Links  in  the  Chain  of  Papal  Despotism — 

Afternoon  shadows  in  a Peruvian  church — The  abyss — 
How  the  students  of  Lima  rescued  a hapless  victim — School- 
children  and  the  Confessional — The  Peruvian’s  last  hope — Hoiv 
Indulgences  are  bought — A people  who  have  no  fear  of  hell,  since 
the  bottomless  pit  is  only  for  Protestants. 


365 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN  OF  PAPAL  DESPOTISM  i 

“All  tlie  graces  of  the  Christian  life  assume  a new  complexion  in  Rome 
repentance  becomes  penance  ; faith  becomes  credulity  ; zeal  becomes  fanat- 
icism ; holiness  becomes  asceticism.” — Dr.  Wylie. 

The  despotism  exei’cised  l)y  the  Peruvian  priesthood  is 
founded  upon  a cunningly  devised  system  of  such  in- 
genuity as  is  calculated  to  disarm  and  enthral  the  human 
mind.  The  links  in  this  terrible  chain  are  constituted  by  the 
Confessional,  Absolution,  Extreme  Unction,  Indulgences,  and 
Purgatory. 

The  Confessional,  like  other  falsities,  has  been  gradually 
built  up  upon  a slight  foundation  of  truth.  Early  in  the 
history  of  the  Church  it  was  found  to  be  lielpful  that  younger 
brethren  should  speak  about  their  sins  to  those  older  in  the 
faith.  Subsequently  the  hearing  of  confessions  became  a specific 
office,  but  as  late  as  the  twelfth  century  this  custom  was  a 
means  of  amendment  only,  not  an  indispensable  condition  of 
forgiveness.  Originally  the  form  of  absolution  was  Absolutionem 
et  remissionem  trihxmt  tibi  Beus  (God  grant  thee  absolution 
and  remission) ; but  in  the  thirteenth  century  this  became  Ego 
te  absolvo  a peccatis  tuis,  in  nomino  Patris,  etc.  (I  absolve  thee 
from  thy  sins  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost).  “ The  Council  of  Trent  confirmed  these  fearful 
blasphemies,  and  pronounced  an  anathema  against  those  who 

* Throughout  this  chcapter  Mr.  W.  E.  Tayler’s  statements  concerning 
Romanism  have  been  frequently  quoted.  See  Popery : its  Character  and 
its  Crimes. 


367 


368  THE  CHAIN  OF  PAPAL  DESPOTISM 


denied  eithei’  the  absolute  necessity  of  confession  for  the 
forgiveness  of  sin,  or  tlie  authority  of  the  priest  to  deliver 
sentence  as  a judge.” 

The  ordinance  thus  instituted  has  become  the  greatest  evil 
of  papal  lands.  A missionary  in  Peru  writes : “ Here  every 
intelligent  and  unbiased  man  recognizes  and  acknowledges 
the  confessional  to  be  the  root  of  infinite  evil,  and  one  of  the 
chief  causes  of  Peru’s  commercial,  moral,  and  spiritual  poverty.” 
For  a right  understanding  of  the  missionary  problems  of  Peru, 
it  is  necessary  to  examine  the  workings  of  this  terrible  scourge, 
and  its  unspeakable  results. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  enter  any  Peruvian  church  in  the 
afternoon  without  seeing  manta-clad  women  and  girls  waiting 
to  be  confessed.  As  they  enter  the  building  they  sprinkle 
holy  water  on  their  faces,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross  and 
saying : “ By  the  sign  of  the  cross  deliver  us,  our  God,  from 
our  enemies,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Amen.”  They  then  kneel  before  the  altar 
and  say  a prayer  to  the  Holy  Sacrament,  and  others  to  the 
Virgin  or  the  titular  saints  of  the  church.  Lastly,  five  altars 
must  be  visited,  and  five  Ave  IMarias  and  five  Paternosters 
said  before  each. 

Preparatory  ceremonies  being  concluded,  they  go  to  the 
confessional-box,  in  which  the  priest  sits  with  his  ear  to  the 
window  at  the  side,  and  sometimes  with  the  curtain  drawn 
back  from  the  entrance  that  he  may  better  see  the  penitent. 

Kneeling  and  bowing  herself  to  the  ground,  with  her  fingei’s 
upon  her  rosary,  the  penitent  repeats  the  general  confession  of 
sins,  which  is : — “ I do  confess  to  God  Almighty,  to  the  blessed 
Mary  always  a Virgin,  to  the  blessed  Archangel  Michael,  to  the 
blessed  John  Baptist,  to  the  Holy  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  to 
all  the  Saints,  and  to  Thee,  O Father,  that  I have  too  much 
sinned  by  thought,  word,  and  deed,  by  my  fault,  by  my  fault, 
by  my  greatest  fault.  Therefore  I beseech  blessed  Mary,  always 
a Virgin,  the  blessed  Archangel  Michael,  the  blessed  John 


APPARENTLY ! 369 

Baptist,  the  holy  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  all  the  Saints,  and 
Thee,  O Father,  to  pray  God  our  Lord  for  me.  Amen.” 

She  then  raises  herself  to  her  knees,  and  begins  to  disclose 
her  sins  to  the  priest.  “ In  granting  absolution,  the  priest 
always  enjoins  some  penance,  upon  the  strict  performance  of 
which  its  efficacy  is  said  to  depend.”  Either  prayer,  fasting, 
or  almsgiving  will  be  imposed,  according  to  the  character  of 
the  penitent. 

Such  is  the  apparently  simple  ceremony.  Remember,  how- 
ever, the  immorality  prevalent  in  Peru ; the  character  of  the 
priests ; and  the  shamelessness  which  is  so  common.  Remember 
that  “the  Church  rigorously  enjoins  the  faithful,  as  they  would 
escape  perdition,  to  make  the  most  intimate  and  circumstantial 
disclosures  of  their  guilt,  without  which,  it  .says,  the  sacred 
physician  cannot  be  qualified  to  apply  the  remedy.”  Thus  you 
will  have  a vision  of  the  horrible  abyss,  where  the  soul  of  both 
priest  and  penitent  is  so  frequently  lo.st  in  Peru. 

It  is  pitiful  and  heart-breaking  in  the  extreme  that  an 
ordinance  of  the  Church  should  impart  to  the  young  and 
inexperienced  the  knowledge  of  sin  ; but  thus  it  is.  Mr.  Gavin, 
in  his  Master-Key  to  Popery,  says : “ To  the  discovery  of  the 
mortal  sins  the  Father  Confessor  doth  very  much  help  the 
penitent ; for  he  sometimes,  out  of  pure  zeal,  but  most  commonly 
out  of  curiosity,  asks  tliem  many  ({uestions,  to  know  whether 
they  do  remember  all  their  sins  or  not.”  Not  infrequently  a 
pure  young  girl  is  entrusted  to  his  spiritual  care ; surprised  and 
shocked,  she  leaves  him  the  first  afternoon ; but  later — interest, 
curiosity,  amusement,  evil  fascination  are  all  aroused.  “ The 
reptile  confessor,  by  a series  of  suggestive  (juestions,  and  with 
all  the  art  of  a practised  seducer,  winds  like  an  anaconda  x-ound 
his  young  victim,  until  she  becomes,  by  dint  of  repeated 
licentious  defilement  poui’ed  into  her  car  in  confession,  day 
after  day,  week  after  week,  and  month  after  moixth,  his 
hapless  prey.”  ^ 

* Father  Hogan,  Puseyite  and  Poinsh  Confessions  and  Nunneries. 

24 


370  THE  CHAIN  OF  PAPAL  DESPOTISM 


A missionary  writes  from  Peru  : 

“ So  much  has  been  asserted  and  proved  about  the  baneful 
influence  of  the  confessional,  that  it  is  not  necessary'  to  add  to 
that  testimony,  unless  it  be  in  order  to  evoke  more  prayer  on 
behalf  of  the  poor  people  paralyzed  by  its  galling  yoke.  In 
Callao  a young  woman  of  respectable  family,  who  went  to 
confession,  was  lately  inveigled  away  into  the  Convent  of 
Santa  Clara,  Lima,  by  the  notorious  Vidal  and  his  co-padre. 
Both  priests  were  supported  in  their  criminal  act  by  ecclesi- 
astical authorities.  The  poor  mother  made  repeated  attempts 
to  secure  the  release  of  her  daughter,  but  in  vain.  Meanwhile 
public  opinion  was  aroused  through  the  daily  papers,  and  a group 
of  Lima  students  besieged  the  convent,  and  woidd  have  thrown 
down  the  gates  had  they  not  received  a definite  promise  of 
her  liberation,  which  took  place  next  day.  Thanks  to  the 
students,  who  had  the  courage  to  face  the  emissaries  of  Rome, 
their  sealed  walls,  and  prison  gates,  the  victim  was  saved  from 
the  life  of  bondage,  misery,  and  abuse,  which  would  otherwise 
have  been  her  lot.” 

The  boys  are  not  guarded  as  are  their  sisters,  and 
lamentably  early  the  foul  suggestions  of  the  priests  take  effect. 
Alas,  that  we  should  have  to  trace  the  appalling  moral  con- 
dition of  the  boyhood  of  Peru  to  the  weekly  confession  which 
all  school-children  are  obliged  to  make ! 

“ The  interrogations  and  answers  which  pass  between  the 
confe.ssor  and  his  penitent  are  obviously  such  as  gradually  tend  to 
banish  all  shame,  and  familiarize  the  people  with  ideas  of  guilt.” 

One  of  the  greatest  afflictions  which  a missionary  in  Peru 
must  suffer  is  the  knowledge  of  the  low  estimate  put  upon 
sin  by  those  around.  Daily  tliis  consciousness  grows  more 
oppressive.  For  these  poor  people — so  attractive  in  many 
ways — sin  has  lost  its  horror,  and  the  main  source  of  this 
callous,  ungodly  attitude,  is  the  confessional. 

Those  who  confess  are  often  wicked  persons;  indeed  the 


A FREE  PASS  TO  HEAVEN 


371 


lowest  men  and  women  are  often  driven  by  superstition  and 
fear  to  the  confessionary.  “ Mere  profession  of  sorrow  and 
promise  of  amendment  is  all  that  is  ever  required  from  the 
sinner.”  ^ Thus  Absolution  “ relieves  from  all  apprehension  of 
divine  wrath,  without  imparting  any  change  of  heart.” 

It  may  be  truly  said  of  modern  Peruvians,  in  the  words  of 
Sir  Edward  Sandys — “ The  common  sort  reckon  thus — ‘ Why 
need  we  refrain  so  fearfully  from  sin,  God  having  provided  so 
ready  a means  to  be  rid  of  it  when  we  list  again?’  Yea,  and 
the  worse  sort  will  say : ‘ When  we  have  sinned  we  must 
confess,  and  when  we  have  confessed  we  must  sin  again,  that 
we  may  also  confess  again,  and  withal  make  work  for  new 
indulgences  and  jubilees.’  ^ 

“ It  is  obvious  then  that  the  trifling  penances  usually 
imposed  upon  sinners  by  the  Church  of  Rome  increase  the 
evil,  instead  of  lessening  it ; whilst  the  efficacy  which  is  always 
attached  to  penance  — by  teaching  man  that  he  himself 
possesses  the  power  of  atoning  for  his  sins — destroys  the  very 
foundation  doctrine  of  Christianity,  and  instils  deadly  poison 
into  the  soul.” 

Closely  allied  to  this  evil  is  another — the  final  absolution 
pronounced  by  one  man  upon  the  soul  of  his  brother — 
Extreme  Unction. 

Several  times  have  I seen  processions  011  their  way  to  watch 
this  blasphemy  enacted.  A tinkling  of  bells  echoes  through 
the  streets  of  Cuzco,  and  the  sound  of  rattling  stones  and  tin ; 
boys  are  thus  announcing  the  approach  of  the  Host,  and  as 
the  whisper  goes  round — “ The  Holiest ! ” — the  women  drop  on 
their  knees.  If  the  dying  soul  is  poor,  the  Host  will  be  carried 
by  a priest  in  plain  robes,  and  sheltered  by  a dowdy  y el  low" 

1 In  1825  it  was  declared  in  the  British  House  of  Commons  that  “a 
sorrow  for  sin,  arising  merely  out  of  a consideration  of  the  puni.shment 
which  may  be  annexed  to  it,  is  at  present  admitted  by  the  highest  authority 
in  the  Church  of  Rome  as  entitling  to  absolution.” 

^ Said  of  Euro25e  at  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century. 


372  THE  CHAIN  OF  PAPAL  DESPOTISM 


umbrella;  but  if  the  home  to  which  it  is  bovmd  be  rich,  the 
priest’s  glittering  finery  and  his  gorgeous  palanquin  will 
witness  to  the  exorbitant  fee  which  the  family  is  wealthy 
enough  to  pay  for  a free  pass,  via  purgatory,  to  heaven.  By 
the  sick-bed  is  set  an  altar — candles,  flowers,  crucifixes,  saints, 
virgins,  all  in  close  proximity  to  the  dying  person.  Friends 
crowd  around ; the  street  without  is  blocked  by  women 
kneeling  with  lighted  candles  in  their  hands ; sounds  of 
wailing  mingle  with  priestly  chants ; the  foul  air  of  the 
chamber  is  further  obscured  by  incense  from  the  acolytes’ 
censers,  and  besprinkled  with  holy  water.  The  priest  then 
approaches  the  bed,  the  organs  of  the  five  senses  are  anointed, 
and  God’s  forgiveness  implored  on  the  sins  of  each.  For  the 
la.st  time  the  penitent  sees  the  divine  wafer  partaken  of,  and 
then  the  priest  turns  to  go,  and  all  his  paraphernalia  return 
with  him  to  the  church.  As  he  passes  the  Prefect’s  house,  a 
salute  is  fired,  the  band  plays,  and  the  policemen  kneel  until 
the  Highest  has  passed  from  sight. 

“ The  effect  of  this  sacrament  is  ‘ to  impart  grace  to  the  soul, 
and  to  wash  out  the  remains  of  sin  ’ (Council  of  Trent).  Thus 
are  the  dying  deluded  with  the  persuasion  that  all  is  right ; and 
wicked  men,  whilst  living  a life  of  open  impiety  and  vice, 
comfort  themselves  with  the  belief  that  when  their  end  draws 
nigh,  the  priest,  by  means  of  this  sacrament,  will  secure  them 
from  that  punishment  which  conscience  tells  them  is  their  due.” 

A third  link  in  the  chain  of  despotism  is  formed  by  the 
supposed  power  of  the  Church  to  grant  Induixjences. 

“ Hear  ye  not  the  voices  of  your  late  parents,  brothers, 
sisters,  children,  as  they  cry  ? Ye  are  leaving  them  in  the 
flames,  and  yet  ye  might  buy  indulgences  ! ” 

Such  was  the  huckster  cry  of  the  famous  Dominican  Tetzel 
at  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Such  was  the 
trade  against  which  Luther  wrote  his  ninety-five  theses. 

Theoretically,  an  indulgence  frees  one  from  a part  of  the 


“INSTEAD  OF  ALL  REPENTANCE” 


373 


purgatorial  punishment  merited  by  sins  already  committed.  So 
severe  were  penances  formerly,  that  their  accumulated  duties  of 
fasting,  charity,  and  church-building,  were  impossible  to  perform. 
Indulgences  were  therefore  introduced  as  simple  relaxations  of 
accumulated  works  of  penance,  and  were  found  to  profit  both 
priest  and  people.  Notre  Dame  and  all  the  famous  ecclesiastical 
buildings  of  the  twelfth,  thirteenth,  and  fourteenth  centuries, 
owed  their  origin  to  pecuniary  indulgences.  The  Crusades  were 
stimulated  by  promises  of  “ entire  remission  of  sins,  and  other 
indulgences,”  the  journey  being  reckoned  to  the  Crusader 
“ instead  of  all  repentance.”  Through  the  offer  of  indulgences, 
Boniface  VIII.  instituted  the  great  Romish  jubilees,  and  age 
after  age  has  testified  its  approval  of  this  means  of  expiating 
sin. 

Nor  has  human  nature  changed.  It  has  the  same  tendency 
towards  evil,  and  the  same  consciousness  of  future  retribution. 
Thus  we  find  indulgences  still  on  sale  in  Peru.  They  are  bought 
by  works  of  merit — not  indeed  such  merit  as  might  be  imagined, 
but  the  repeating  of  Ave  Marias  and  Paternosters  before  this 
or  that  relic,  altar,  or  image.  There  is  no  church  and  no  religious 
confraternity  that  does  not  thus  profe.ss  to  sell  forgiveness. 
You  have  but  to  climb  the  hill  above  Cuzco  and  kiss  the  cross 
standing  near  the  old  Inca  fortress,  and  you  will  receive  one 
hundred  days’  indulgence.  Other  even  less  tedious  pilgrimages 
will  secure  hundreds  and  thousands  of  years’  indulgence.  In 
the  words  of  Waddington,  “ These  are  nothing  less,  when  fairly 
interpreted,  than  an  unconditional  permission  to  sin  for  the  rest 
of  life.”i 

The  modern  method  of  buying  indulgences  for  the  dead  is 
paying  to  have  masses  said  for  their  souls.  In  Arequipa,  £12 
is  the  least  sum  which  will  secure  this  privilege,  and  for  a 
requiem  Mass  in  one  of  the  fashionable  churches  as  much  as 
£60  or  £80  is  constantly  paid.  Outside  the  church  of  El  Prado, 

* Said  of  Indulgences  circulated  by  the  papal  emissaries  a little  before 
the  Reformation. 


374  the  chain  OF  PAPAL  DESPOTISM 


in  Lima,  one  may  see  the  representation  of  a soul  burning  in 
purgatory,  and  beneath  it  a money-box.  Can  love  resist  such  a 
plea  ? As  long  as  peace  in  sinning  and  escape  from  purgatory 
can  be  secured  by  money,  the  Chui’ch  of  Rome  will  not  lack. 

Thus  by  tliese  varied  links  we  ai'e  bi’ought  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  Church’s  last  and  most  trusted  fetter — her  teach- 
ing concerning  Purgatory.  Confession,  Absolution,  Extreme 
Unction,  Indulgences — each  put  the  priest  upon  God’s  throne, 
and  set  his  unfortunate  parishioners  beneath  his  heel.  But 
the  acme  of'  papal  assumption  is  found  in  the  doctrine  of 
purgatory.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  spiritual  per- 
plexities with  respect  to  the  future  state  of  the  soul  which 
gave  rise  to  this  doctrine,  its  development  has  been  largelj^ 
due  to  the  avarice  of  the  priesthood. 

Purgatory  has  been  defined  to  be  “ a certain  place  where, 
as  in  prison,  those  souls  are  purified  after  this  life  which  were 
not  purified  here,  in  order  that  they  may  be  able  to  enter 
heaven.”  ^ 

The  belief  in  purgatory,  with  all  the  imaginative  terroi’s 
which  it  brings,  foi’ms  the  base  of  a Peruvian’s  religion.  This 
accounts  for  his  reverence  towards  the  priests ; for  his 
punctilious  observance  of  religious  ceremonies ; for  his  implicit 
obedience  to  the  Church,  and  for  his  hatred  of  heretics.  So 
great  a power  over  the  imagination  has  this  hypothetical  place 
of  torment,  that  it  undermines  what  little  of  the  Gospel 
remains  in  the  Roman  Catholicism  of  Peru,  and  leads  to  a 
system  of  salvation  by  works,  and  thus  inevitably  to  the 
purchase  of  .salvation. 

The  statements  concerning  the  future  state  found  in  the 
Bible,  invest  the  Deity  with  awe-inspiring  power  and  majesty. 
But  “ the  result  of  the  dogma  of  purgatory  is  virtually  to 
explode  the  doctrine  of  hell,”  and  to  transfer  the  apportion- 
ment of  eternal  destinies  from  God  to  the  priest.  The  latter 
1 Cardinal  Bellarmine. 


A SOUL  IN  PURGATORY. 

This  is  the  object  which  hangs  outside  the  Church  of  El  I’rado,  in  Lima. 

(lames  about  the  tormented  soul,  and  the  padlocked  money-box 


Notice  the 

I 


SCANDALOUS  BUT  SANCTIMONIOUS  375 


alone  can  utter  those  mystic  words,  which  are  supposed  to 
release  the  agonized  sufferers  from  purgatory ; he  alone  can 
pronounce  the  absolution  wliich  will  allow  man  to  escape  hell, 
by  entering  the  refining  purgatorial  fires. 

The  Peruvian’s  conscience  is  hardened,  and  what  wonder  ? 
He  need  have  no  fear  of  God,  in  that  a priest  can  always 
absolve  him  ; he  may  sin  if  he  will,  for  extreme  unction  will 
at  the  last  admit  him  to  purgatory;  he  need  fear  no  hell,  for 
the  bottomless  pit  is  only  for  Protestants,  and  for  those  who 
are  excommunicated  from  the  Church. 

Stand  back  and  take  a view  of  the  despotism  which  we 
have  surveyed:  confession,  absolution,  extreme  unction, 

indulgences,  purgatory.  In  this  cruel  maze  thousands  of 
deluded  souls  are  to-day  imprisoned.  Devout  men  and  women 
are  there,  trusting  their  eternal  salvation  to  the  hands  of  those 
whom  they  believe  to  bear  Divine  authority ; impious  men 
and  women  are  there,  independent  of  God  and  of  His  moral  laws, 
bargaining  with  the  Church  for  a scandalous  life,  a sancti- 
monious death,  and  a safe  hereafter. 

What  is  the  end  towards  which  this  de.spotism  works  ? 
What  is  the  goal  to  which  those  completely  in  its  power  will 
be  led  ? 

The  devout  Peruvian  has  no  higher  aim  in  life  than  the 
monastery.  The  sublimest  destiny  held  before  a mother  is  to 
be  separated  from  her  husband,  bereft  of  her  children,  and 
protected  in  a nunnery  from  all  earthly  joys  and  sorrows, 
that  by  prayer  and  fasting  she  may  amass  virtue  for  herself 
and  others.  As  the  next  chapter  will  show,  this,  the  highest 
form  of  Chi’istian  life  held  up  for  imitation  in  Peru,  too  often 
tends  to  moral  death. 


Chapter  XXXIII. — Monastic  Education — 

“ The  Amalekites”  to  republican  liberty — A Church  which 
in  self-defence  must  oppose  education — The  favourite  “ sacred  ” 
stories  of  a child  educated  by  nuns — A word-cinematograph 
showing  a Peruana  taking  the  veil — “ The  door  which  leads  to 
Heaven.” 


377 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 


MONASTIC  EDUCATION 

“ Facile  belief  is  of  but  little  value  : it  often  only  means  that  as  certain 
words  make  no  impression  whatever  upon  the  mind,  so  they  excite  no  opposi- 
tion in  it.  There  are  few  things  which  Christ  would  have  visited  with  sterner 
censure,  than  that  short-cut  to  belief  which  consists  of  abandonment  of 
mental  effort.” — Oliver  Lodge. 

PERU  has  been  suddenly  aroused  by  the  realization  that  her 
republican  liberty  is  in  danger  of  becoming  a farce.  In 
1821  the  yoke  of  Spanish  rule  was  broken  for  ever,  and  the 
former  tyrants  of  Peru  were  driven  from  the  country.  But 
“ the  Amalekites  ” were  allowed  to  remain ; the  Church  was  not 
disestablished,  nor  was  toleration  secured.  The  religious  .system, 
which  was  the  very  core  of  the  Spanish  Government — abolished 
in  1821 — has  ever  since  been  a thorn  in  the  flesh  to  all  truly 
enlightened  Peruvians. 

The  recent  awakening  is  especially  noticeable  in  the  scliool 
system  of  the  republic.  Religion  and  education  have  ever 
gone  together  in  Peru,  and  the  faults  of  former  systems  may 
be  summed  up  in  the  statement  that  it  is  not  to  the  advan- 
tage of  the  Church  to  teach  children  to  think.  A young 
Catholic  girl,  with  whom  I once  spoke,  innocently  enunciated 
to  me  this  very  principle.  “ I should  like  to  read  the 
Bible,”  she  said,  “ but  am  afraid  that  it  would  make  me 
think,  and  of  that  the  Holy  Church  would  di.sapprove.” 
If  until  lately  many  Peruvians  have  been  characterized  by 
superficial  mental  power,  and  a lack  of  educational  grounding ; 
if  the  mass  of  republicans  has  not  even  been  taught  to  read, 

379 


380 


MONASTIC  EDUCATION 


it  is  because  the  Church  must  oppose  education  iu  self- 
defence. 

I\Ionastic  schools  are  the  only  educational  establishments 
patronized  by  the  wealthier  Peruvians,  except  in  Lima,  where 
good  foreign  schools  are  usurping  their  place.  But  a very 
excellent  system  of  State  education  is  passing  through  its  experi- 
mental stages,  and  no  doubt  will  ultimately  take  the  place  of 
these  religious  schools. 

Originally  the  city  authorities  had  charge  of  all  elementary 
instruction,  the  Minister  of  Education  controlling  the  universities 
and  higher  schools.  Subsequently  all  educational  establishments 
were  put  under  his  direction,  and  commissioners  appointed  to 
manage  the  various  centres.  To-day  each  prefect  is  the  sole 
authority  over  the  schools  of  his  department.  By  local  taxes 
he  must  hnd  all  funds  for  their  maintenance  and  inspection. 

In  1907  Polar,  a famous  statesman  from  Arequipa,  succeeded 
in  winning  suppoi’t  for  a Bill  which  repealed  the  old  law  for- 
bidding teaching  in  Kechua,  and  secured  that  all  professors  in 
Indian  districts  should  be  Kechua-speaking.  Thus,  although 
the  Indians  of  the  republic  are  still  unable,  as  a race,  to  read  or 
write,  .a  reform  has  been  commenced,  which,  in  spite  of  great 
difficulties,  will  ultimately,  we  hope,  secure  adequate  teaching 
for  the  Indians. 

The  first  grade  of  State  education,  including  only  reading 
and  writing,  extends  over  three  years,  and  is  compulsory.  The 
second  grade  includes  the  memorizing  of  very  superficial  text- 
books on  a number  of  subjects,  and  extends  over  a period  of  five 
years.  From  these  grades  a pupil  may  pass  either  to  the 
university  or  to  a normal  school,  for  the  latter  of  which  the 
prefects  name  two  candidates  from  each  province.  The  modern 
normal  schools  are  excellently  equipped  with  charts  and 
kindergarten  outfits,  and  are  often  managed  by  teachers  from 
Fi’ance  or  Belgium.  The  range  of  study  at  these  schools,  as 
well  as  at  the  universities,  is  very  pretentious,  but  the  examina- 
tions are  entirely  upon  the  letter  of  the  text-books.  In  Lima 


IN  THE  MONKS'  GALLERY. 


NUNS  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 


381 


there  are  excellent  modern  technical  schools : engineering 
agricultural,  scientific,  commercial,  naval,  and  military  colleges, 
supported  by  Government,  which  grants  free  training  on  condition 
that  the  student  subsequently  sei’ves  for  two  or  three  years  in  a 
salaried  governmental  post.  In  the  “ long  vacation  ” the  students 
travel  with  professors — those  from  the  military  school,  for 
example,  studying  military  life,  tactics,  fortifications,  supplies, 
and  transport. 

In  all  these  educational  centres,  religious  instruction  is 
given  by  the  priests;  in  the  elementary  schools  the  catechism 
is  taught,  and  the  teacher  is  responsible  for  seeing  that  the 
children  take  their  first  communion,  while  one  morning  in 
the  week  is  always  set  apart  for  attending  Mass  and  the 
Confessional. 

Except  in  the  capital,  the  most  influential  men  and  women 
of  the  coming  generation  are  being  ti-ained  in  convent  schools. 
In  the  smaller  towns,  it  is  true,  there  are  no  monasteries ; but 
from  all  parts  of  the  republic,  from  distant  valleys  and  isolated 
farms,  the  children  are  sent  to  the  convents  and  monasteries 
of  the  large  cities.  In  Arequipa  there  are  important  schools 
conducted  by  the  Dominicans,  Mercederians,  Jesuits,  Salicians, 
Augustinians,  and  Nuns  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  in  addition  to  the 
Theological  Seminary.  Four  of  these  are  boarding-schools,  the 
Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart  being  an  immense  establishment 
with  a teaching  staff  of  fifty  nuns. 

The  various  attempts  made  by  missionaries  to  establish 
Protestant  schools,  and  the  reforms  inaugurated  by  the  Minister 
of  Education,  have  caused  these  religious  institutions  to  improve 
their  equipment  and  regime,  which,  however,  still  remain  very 
inadequate.  A lady  friend  of  the  missionaries  in  Arequipa 
sent  her  sons  to  the  best  Catholic  school  in  that  city ; but  when 
she  found  that  they  were  taught  to  pray  and  confess,  were 
pinched  and  slapped  by  the  priests,  but  learnt  nothing,  she 
refused  to  allow  them  to  remain.  In  the  mrls’  schools  the 

o 

scholars  are  taught  to  embroider  beautifully  (the  proceeds  of 


382 


MONASTIC  EDUCATION 


their  work  enrich  the  Churcli),  and  allowed  to  become  veiy  vain, 
and  to  gossip  shamelessly.  The  following  words  of  a Peruvian 
author  are  generally  acknowledged  to  be  true  of  them : — 

“ A sefiorita  with  a diploma  of  the  third  grade  knows 
enough  of  geography  to  be  ignorant  as  to  whether  one  goes  to 
Calcutta  by  sea  or  land,  and  as  much  of  languages  as  is 
indispensable  in  order  to  talk  brokenly  in  the  French  of 
Gascoign,  or  to  stammer  Canadian  English.  So  all  the  girls 
educated  by  nuns  weave  famous  embroideries  of  fine  glazed 
buckram,  work  .slippers  for  papa  who  does  not  use  them,  and 
watch-cases  for  brothers  who  possess  no  watch.” 

I was  given  a good  deal  of  information  about  life  in  a 
nunnery  by  a little  girl  of  twelve,  who  for  years  had  been  a 
boarder  in  the  “ School  of  the  Sacred  Hearts  of  Mary  and 
Jesus.”  She  had  several  simple  text-books  on  Grammar, 
History,  and  French,  but  her  most  prized  possession  was  a 
religious  book  specially  compiled  for  the  School  of  the  Sacred 
Hearts.  The  child  marked  for  me  several  of  her  favourite 
passages,  which  ran  .somewhat  as  follows : — 


True  Story  Illustrative  of  the  First  Communion. 

“ Imelda  Lambertini  of  Bolivia  was  considered  supernatural 
from  her  birth.  To  mention  the  names  of  Jesus  or  Mary  was 
enough  to  draw  tears  from  her  eyes.  Very  early  she  entered 
the  Convent  of  Santo  Domingo.  When  the  elder  girls  were 
taking  First  Communion,  she  was  too  young  to  be  allowed  that 
privilege,  not  yet  being  twelve.  During  the  ceremony  she 
knelt  with  her  eyes  raised  to  heaven,  her  little  hands  crossed  on 
her  breast,  and  clasped  her  ci’ucifix  from  which  she  was  never 
separated. 

“ ‘ Come,  Beloved  of  my  Soul,’  she  cried.  ‘ Come  and  repo.se 
in  the  garden  of  my  heart  which  belongs  to  Thee  without 
reserve.’ 

“ Suddenly  a wafer  came  out  of  the  pyx,  crossed  the  church. 


“ WHO  WOULD  NOT  BE  IMELDA  ! ” 


383 


aud  stopped  before  Imelda.  All  wondered  at  the  miracle  and 
could  scarcely  believe  their  eyes.  But  it  was  no  illusion,  for  a 
brilliance  illuminated  the  temple,  accompanied  by  a soft  perfume 
noticed  in  all  parts.  The  priest  then  took  the  sacred  wafer  in 
a paten,  and  administered  it  to  the  holy  child.  With  her  hands 
crossed  on  her  breast  and  her  eyes  sweetly  shut,  Imelda 
remained  kneeling.  Even  when  the  madre  (Mother  Superior) 
told  her  that  it  was  time  to  go  she  did  not  move,  for  she  had 
ceased  to  exist.  Her  grave  worked  multitudes  of  miracles,  and 
the  Church  gave  her  the  title  of  Blessed  ! Ah  ! who  would  not 
be  Imelda ! ” 

True  Story  Illustrative  of  the  Blessed  Trixity  and 
THE  Origin  of  the  Trisagion. 

So  terrible  were  the  earthquakes  which  shook  Con- 
stantinople in  the  year  447  A.D.,  that  the  Emperor  Teodosio, 
Pulcheria  his  sister,  San  Proclo  Patriarca,  and  all  the  clergy 
met  in  the  country  outside  the  city  and  lifted  up  their  voices 
to  heaven,  imploring  help.  The  earth,  however,  was  shaken 
again  so  terribly  that  the  effect  of  the  earthquake  was  nearly 
the  same  as  that  of  the  deluge.  Suddenly,  in  the  presence  of 
all,  a young  child  was  caught  up  into  heaven,  and  after  a long 
time  he  returned  to  earth,  and  said  that  he  had  been  admitted 
to  the  angelic  choir,  and  had  heard  the  angels  singing  in 
chorus — “ Holy  God,  strong  saint,  immortal  saint,  have  mercy 
upon  us.”  This  he  had  been  told  to  tell  them.  The  child  then 
expired,  “passing  to  enjoy  eternally  the  glory  which  he  had 
left.”  San  Proclo  and  the  Emperor  at  once  commanded  that 
all  the  people  should  chant  this  sacred  song,  and  immediately 
the  earthquakes  ceased. 

“ Thus  was  born  the  use  of  the  Trisagion,  prescribed  by  the 
Fourth  Calcedonese  Council  as  the  formula  of  which  all  the 
faithful  were  to  invoke  the  Holiest  Trinity  in  times  of  calamity 
and  sadness.” 


384 


MONASTIC  EDUCATION 


On  the  first  page  of  this  school-book  was  a space  where  the 
scholar  was  to  fill  in  her  “ most  precious  anniversaries.” 

“ I was  baptized. 

“ I was  confirmed. 

“ I took  my  first  communion. 

“ I was  received  a daughter  of  Mary. 

“ I was  received  a daughter  of  the  Sacred  Hearts.” 

Such  were  the  most  prized  memories  with  which  the 
child  left  school ! Such  was  the  book  which  had  been  every- 
thing to  her — Bible,  hymns,  story-books,  school -primers,  and 
play ! 

The  teaching  and  traditions  of  such  school  life  all  lead  up 
to  the  supreme  moment  when  a girl  leaves  the  world  and  be- 
comes irrevocably  and  for  ever  an  inmate  of  the  Convent  of  the 
Sacred  Hearts. 

“ Thereafter  neither  law  nor  liberty  nor  love  can  touch  her. 
For  law  stands  paralyzed  at  the  convent  door.  The  domain 
within  is  under  the  exclusive  jurisdiction  of  Canon  Law ; and 
let  the  oppi’ession  practised  be  what  it  may — let  fetter  be 
employed  to  coerce  the  will — fasts,  penances,  darkness,  to  tame 
the  spirit — let  deprivation  or  death  itself  crown  the  whole — 
that  convent  door  cannot  be  opened,  that  wretchedness  the 
law  can  neither  reach  nor  remedy.”  ^ 

I stood  one  day  at  the  entrance  to  the  nunnery  of  El  Prado, 
in  Lima.  A death-like  stillness  reigned,  and  the  rudely  painted 
saints  on  the  w’alls  stared  down  at  me  fixedly.  Now  a messenger 
entered  and  placed  a package  in  a window  in  the  wall.  For  a 
moment  a pale  stei’ii  face,  tightly  draped  in  black,  appeared 
at  the  door ; then  it  was  withdrawn,  the  window  revolved, 
and  all  was  silence  again.  Decrepit  pictures  of  saints  and 
huge  coloured  candlesticks  stood  around,  but  no  living  thing 
was  to  be  seen  or  heard.  On  the  wall  were  painted  gaudy 
scrolls  bearing  the  following  inscription  in  old-fashioned 
Spanish  to  Our  Lady  of  Prado : — “ For  thy  sake,  Lady,  and 
* Dr.  AVylie,  Rome  and  Civil  Liberty. 


TAKING  THE  VEIL  385 

for  that  of  thy  well-beloved  Son,  pray  for  all  the  Church, 
and  liberate  us  from  sin.” 

Above  the  inner  door  leading  into  the  convent  were  the 
striking  words : “ The  door  which  leads  to  heaven  whomsoever 
loves  the  Crucified  One.” 

Ijet  us  accompany  Madame  C.  ^ as  she  enters  a South 
American  convent  to  bid  farewell  to  one  who  is  to  be  im- 
mured for  the  rest  of  her  life  in  this  paradise  with  bolts  and 
bars. 

“ I have  now  seen  three  nuns  take  the  veil,”  this  lady 
writes,  “ and,  next  to  death,  consider  it  the  saddest  event  that 
can  occur  in  the  nether  sphere. 

“ I had  been  but  a little  while  in  the  convent  church,  when 
Jose  Maria  brought  a message  from  the  madre  that  the  nun 
had  arrived.  I therefore  followed  my  guide  into  the  sacristy, 
where  the  future  nun  was  seated  beside  her  godmother,  and 
in  the  midst  of  her  friends  and  relatives. 

“ She  was  arrayed  in  pale  blue  satin,  with  diamonds,  pearls, 
and  a crown  of  flowers.  Her  face  was  flushed,  as  well  it 
might  be,  for  she  had  passed  the  day  in  taking  leave  of  her 
friends  at  a fete  they  had  given  her,  and  had  then,  according 
to  custom,  been  paraded  through  the  town  in  all  her  finery ; 
and  now  her  last  hour  was  at  hand.  When  I came  in,  she  rose 
and  embraced  me  with  as  much  cordiality  as  if  we  had  known 
each  other  for  years.  Beside  her  sat  her  relations,  all  decked 
out  in  their  finest  array.  The  nun  kept  laughing  now  and  then 
in  the  most  unnatural  and  hysterical  manner,  as  I thought, 
apparently  to  impress  us  with  the  conviction  of  her  perfect 
happiness — for  it  is  a great  point  of  honour  among  girls 
similarly  situated  to  look  as  cheerful  and  gay  as  possible.” 

The  scene  now  changes  to  the  church.  “ Suddenly  the  curtain 
was  withdrawn,  and  tlie  picturesque  beauty  of  the  scene  within 
baffled  all  description.  Beside  the  altar,  which  was  in  a blaze 
of  light,  was  a perfect  mass  of  crimson  and  gold  drapery.  The 
^ Quoted  iu  a publication  of  the  B.  and  F.  B.  S.  about  1846. 

25 


386 


MONASTIC  EDUCATION 


bishop  wore  his  superb  mitre,  and  robes  of  crimson  and  gold, 
and  the  attendant  priests  glittered  in  like  golden  embroidery. 

“ In  contrast  to  these,  five-and-twenty  figures,  entirely  robed 
in  black  from  head  to  foot,  were  ranged  on  each  side,  prostrate, 
their  faces  touching  the  gi’ound,  and  in  their  hands  immense 
lighted  tapers.  In  the  foreground  was  spread  a purple  carpet, 
bordered  round  with  a garland  of  freshly  gathered  flowers — 
roses,  carnations,  and  heliotrope — the  only  things  that  looked 
real  and  living  in  the  whole  scene ; and  in  the  middle  of  this 
knelt  the  novice,  still  arrayed  in  her  blue  satin,  white  lace  veil, 
and  jewels,  and  also  with  a great  lighted  taper  in  her  hand. 

“ The  black  nuns  rose  and  sang  a hymn,  every  now  and  then 
falling  on  their  faces  and  touching  the  floor  with  their  foreheads. 
The  novice  was  then  raised  from  the  ground  and  led  to  the 
feet  of  the  bishop,  who  examined  her  as  to  her  vocation,  gave 
her  his  blessing,  and  once  more  the  black  curtain  fell  between 
us  and  them. 

“ In  the  next  .scene  she  was  lying  prostrate  on  the  floor, 
disrobed  of  her  profane  dress,  and  covered  with  a black  cloth, 
while  tlie  black  figures  kneeling  I’ound  her  chanted  a hymn. 
She  was  now  dead  to  tlie  world.  The  sunbeams  had  faded 
away  as  if  they  would  not  look  upon  the  scene,  and  all  the 
light  was  concentrated  upon  tlie  convent  group. 

“ Again  she  was  raised.  All  the  blood  had  rushed  into  her 
face,  and  her  attempt  at  a smile  was  truly  painful.  She  knelt 
before  the  bishop,  and  received  the  benediction,  with  the  sign 
of  the  cross,  from  the  white  hand  with  the  pastoral  ring.  She 
then  went  round,  alone,  to  embrace  all  the  dark  phantoms  as 
they  stood  motionless,  and  as  each  shadow  cla.sped  her  in 
its  arms,  it  seemed  like  the  dead  welcoming  a new  arrival  to 
the  shades.” 

As  I write,  the  death-like  stillness  of  El  Prado  seems  to 
close  about  me  again,  and  I once  more  see  the  words,  “ The 
door  which  leads  to  heaven  whomsoever  loves  the  Crucified 
One.” 


“LIFE-IN-DEATH” 


387 


Nay,  it  is  false ! A lowly  life  of  faith  in  Christ,  of  love  and 
duty  as  friend,  wife,  or  mother,  leads  to  heaven ; this  gate  but 
leads  to  the  grave  where  is  “ life-in-death  ” ! Within  that  door, 
which  gives  no  entrance  to  the  poor  and  needy,  the  sad  and 
suffering,  dwells  the  Evil  One.  Bolts  and  bars  cannot  deny 
him  entrance ; he  runs  riot  there,  and  body,  soul,  and  spirit — 
immured,  inactive — are  defiled  by  secret  sin. 

Here  the  course  of  priestly  despotism  ends ; the  moral 
pestilence  is  wrought  out — in  moral  death ! 


(D)  ROMANISM  CHALLENGED. 

Chapter  XXXIV, — “Los  Propagandistas ” — 

A viissionary  enterprise  which  may  be  epoch-making — 
Sites  historic  in  the  memory  of  Peruvian  missionaries — 
Romance  and  tragedy  — The  life-story  of  Ramon  — Rome’s 
struggle  for  the  soul  of  « dying  Protestant — The  great  need — 
Shall  we  not  go  ? 


389 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 


“ LOS  PROPAGANDISTAS  ” 

“ We  want  the  religion  of  Calvary.  We  hate  the  farce  of  the  Vatican.” 

Miguel  Longas,  ex-Priest. 

OME  has  failed  to  give  Peru  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 


and  now  Protestantism  has  stepped  in  to  minister  to  the 
country’s  need.  The  whole  future  of  the  republic  hangs  in  the 
balance  when  these  two  systems  meet.  Missionary  .success  at 
the  present  crisis  will  be  epoch-making.  Our  Peruvian  mission- 
aries are  in  the  very  centre  of  a battle,  the  result  of  which  will 
be  the  making  or  the  marring  of  a republic. 

Twenty  years  ago  there  was  no  foreign  missionary  in  Peru. 
To-day,  the  contest  has  not  been  won — in  some  senses  it  has 
hardly  commenced — but  the  gi’ound  from  which  to  fight  has 
been  gained.  In  a short  lifetime  nothing  less  than  a religious 
and  social  revolution  has  taken  place. 

The  three  greatest  difficulties  confronting  this  missionary 
enterprise  have  been  the  religious  intolerance  of  the  republic, 
the  insanitary  condition  of  life  in  some  of  its  towns,  and 
Peruvian  character  in  all  its  puzzling  phases. 

In  connection  with  the  fir.st  of  these  the  missionary  has 
ever  been  the  fulcrum  upon  which  the  lever  of  religious  liberty 
has  worked.  No  places  in  Peru  are  of  greater  interest  than 
those  historic  in  the  memory  of  missionaries.  There  is  the  foul 
prison  where,  in  1888,  a colporteur  was  immured  for  eight 
months  before  the  right  of  Protestants  to  hold  Gospel  meetings 


392 


“LOS  PROPAGANDISTAS “ 


in  Peru  was  established ; and  the  house  from  which  in  1894 
tlie  first  two  Cuzco  missionaries  fled  for  their  lives  before  the 
fanaticism  of  that  city.  One  may  still  visit  the  rambling  old 
governmental  building  in  Lima  where  the  documents  were 
drawn  out  which  assigned  to  them  an  indemnity  of  £200  for 
tlieir  illegal  exile,  and  placed  beyond  question  the  right  of 
Protestants  to  live  in  Peru.  The  little  English  church  in  Callao 
is  still  kept  up,  whei’e  was  celebrated  the  marriage  service  of 
an  American  missionary’s  daughter,  declared  illegal  by  the 
Government  of  Peru,  but  destined  to  lead  to  the  establishment 
of  civil  marriage  throughout  the  republic.  One  may  pass 
through  the  street  in  Trujillo,  where  in  1896  a native  evangelist 
was  arrested,  and  see  the  court  where  subsequently  a judge 
attested  the  right  of  Prote.stants  to  advertise  their  private 
meetings  for  the  convenience  of  those  invited  to  attend.  The 
custom-house  is  still  busy  where  a freight  of  Bibles  was  held 
for  one  and  a half  years,  but  ultimately  passed  as  legal 
merchandise,  with  a recommendation  to  all  officials  to  place  no 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  colporteurs.  All  these  historic  sites, 
and  many  more  of  thrilling  interest,  I have  visited. 

To-day  the  first  difficulty  of  missionary  work  in  the  land  of  the 
Incas  has  been  largely  overcome,  and  complete  religious  liberty 
seems  but  a short  way  oflf.  The  second  difficulty  is  still  very 
great,  however.  The  conditions  in  which  the  workers  have 
been  forced  to  live  have  been  so  fatal,  that  the  course  of 
mis.sionary  history  in  Peru  is  marked  by  more  than  one  grave. 
Robert  Lodge  lies  buried  beneath  the  shadow  of  Illimani ; the 
body  of  Harry  Backhouse  was  laid  to  rest  by  the  Pacific  strand ; 
and  a simple  stone  in  the  unconsecrated  ground  of  Cuzco’s 
cemetery  marks  the  place  where  loving  hands  laid  the  earthly 
remains  of  beloved  Will  Newell.  No  romance  was  ever  more 
full  of  life  and  love  and  tears  than  is  this  missionary  history. 

The  third  difficulty  is  more  permanent  than  either  of  the 


s 

3 


c 2 o 


OUR  MISSION  HALL,  LIMA. 


ALMOST  BAFFLED 


393 


foregoing.  Peruvian  character  presents  a complex  problem  to 
the  Evangelical  worker.  One  is  charmed  by  the  polite  ease,  the 
genuine  hospitality,  and  unaffected  interest  and  appreciation 
shown  by  the  Peruvian ; but  when  this  very  politeness  becomes 
a barrier  to  the  Gospel,  one  stands  before  it  baffled.  A tirade 
of  abuse,  an  honest  rejection— anything  would  be  easier  to  meet 
than  polite  indifference. 

The  Peruvian’s  artistic  taste  and  appreciation  of  beauty,  which 
attract  one  to  him,  raises  the  problem  : How  far  shall  we  cater  to 
this  love  of  ceremony  and  show  ? Every  meeting  would  be  full 
wei’e  it  the  inauguration  of  an  Inca  Evangelical  >Society  or 
Indian  night-school.  Can  we  give  these  ignorant  people  no 
help  in  the  way  of  ceremonies,  pictures,  or  images  ? 

For  a short  time  we  dared  to  put  coloured  scenes  from  the 
life  of  Christ  upon  the  whitewashed  walls  of  our  little  meeting- 
room,  but  their  simple  figures  were  mistaken  for  our  “ saints.” 

Even  our  hymns  of  praise  are  misunderstood.  “ Are  they 
singing  to  scare  away  evil  spirits  ? ” a little  girl  asked  one  day. 

Sunlight  and  shadows  alternate  in  a strange  way  in  the 
lives  of  native  converts,  and  perhaps  their  stories  will  most 
clearly  illustrate  the  greatest  difflculties  which  Peruvian  mission- 
aries must  face.^  It  was  in  the  year  1899  that  a slight  boy  of 
about  sixteen  years  old  applied  to  the  missionaries  in  Cuzco  for 
drawing  lessons.  They  were  attracted  by  the  lad’s  bright,  open 
face,  and  during  the  time  which  he  spent  with  them  had  many 
a talk  on  spiritual  matters.  Before  the  lessons  wei’e  given  up 
Ramon  made  a definite  decision  to  accept  Jesus  Christ  as  his 
personal  Saviour,  and  rejoiced  the  missionaries’  hearts  by  his 
clear  conception  of  Gospel  truth. 

When  an  industrial  mission  was  opened,  Ramon  was  the 
first  native  to  be  employed,  and  since  a trustworthy  boy  was 
needed  in  the  shop,  it  seemed  providential  that  he  should  be 
ready  for  the  post.  His  frank  manner  and  transparent  sin- 

^ The  following  account  is  founded  upon  notes  by  the  Rev.  F.  J.  Peters, 
formerly  missionary  of  the  R.B.M.U.  in  Peru. 


394 


“LOS  PROP AGANDISTAS ” 


cerity  were  a cause  of  great  joy,  as  also  his  diligence  in  work 
and  intense  earnestness  about  spiritual  matters.  He  lost  no 
chance  of  speaking  of  his  new-found  Friend,  and  of  giving 
away  a tract  or  gospel.  Amongst  the  members  of  his  own 
family  he  worked  so  fearlessly  that  they  ostracised  him ; but  he 
bore  this  cross  manfully. 

A happy  year  passed  away,  and  then  a shadow  crept  over 
the  scene.  By  this  time  Ramon  had  an  associate  with  him  in 
the  shop  who  was  not  a Christian,  and  this  affected  his  own  life. 
He  did  not  seem  so  earnest  as  formerly ; his  look  was  not  so 
straightforward ; nor  did  the  meetings  now  attract  him.  Soon 
it  was  clear  that  the  young  men  had  been  dishonest  in  the  book- 
keeping, and  when  they  realized  that  they  were  discovered, 
they  confessed  all.  The  man  who  appeared  to  be  the  instigator 
was  then  sent  away,  and  Ramon  given  yet  another  chance. 

After  this  he  seemed  to  pull  himself  together  for  awhile, 
but  about  the  middle  of  1901  a cloud  fell  on  his  life.  The  foul 
miasmas  of  Rome  were  poisoning  his  very  soul.  The  gross 
immorality  of  the  land  was  sweeping  him  off  his  feet.  At  first 
the  missionaries  could  scarcely  believe  it ; but  when  a long  inter- 
view with  Ramon  himself  had  confirmed  all  their  suspicions, 
and  he  refused  to  abandon  the  evil,  they  sadly  discharged  him 
from  the  shop. 

For  nearly  a year  he  kept  away,  and  then  one  day  several 
strange  events  drove  him  back  to  his  old  friends.  He  had  long 
been  sick  of  his  life  of  sin,  and  secretly  wished  to  leave  it  all 
and  begin  anew.  The  eruption  of  l\Iartinique  made  a deep 
impression  on  his  soul,  and  he  began  to  realize  how  awful  was 
his  position  unless  he  repented.  Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  one 
day  there  was  a clatter  of  hoofs  in  the  patio  of  the  old  house, 
and  Ramon  galloped  in,  threw  himself  off  his  horse,  and  said  he 
must  see  the  missionaries  at  once. 

At  first  almost  sceptical  concerning  his  profession  of  repent- 
ance, they  soon  had  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  very  real.  He 
brought  back  a number  of  objects  which  he  had  stolen  from  the 


A BLESSED  BONFIRE 


395 


shop — pens,  pencils,  knives,  rubber,  and  books.  Some  time  after, 
he  was  present  at  a meeting  when  the  19th  chapter  of  Acts  was 
expounded.  When  verse  nineteen,  with  its  record  of  the  burning 
of  the  vile  books  at  Ephesus,  was  reached,  Ramon  seized  his  hat 
and  rushed  out  of  the  house.  In  about  half  an  hour  he  returned, 
accompanied  by  an  Indian  bearing  a sackful  of  books.  This 
was  the  secret  of  his  fall,  and  as  the  band  of  Christians  stood 
round  a bonfire  in  the  patio,  while  the  immoral  works  were 
burned,  they  prayed  that  God  would  do  great  things  with  this 
young  man  in  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  had  worked  so  wonderful 
a repentance. 

Ramon’s  marriage  was  the  first  example  of  a native  of  the 
republic  who  left  the  Romish  Church  to  be  married  as  a 
Protestant.  His  wife  was  not  a Christian,  but  for  years  he 
lived  with  her  patiently  and  consistently,  until  the  Christ-power 
in  his  life  broke  down  her  indifference,  and  she  also  asked  for 
baptism.  To-day  amongst  the  names  of  the  most  successful 
colporteurs  and  Bible- women  employed  by  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  may  be  found  those  of  Ramon  and  his 
wife. 

Another  interesting  case  is  that  of  J ulio  and  Flora  Corbacho. 
They  were  very  young  when  they  were  married,  and  shortly 
afterwards  Julio  gave  his  heart  to  the  Lord.  Senora  Flora 
noticed  the  change  in  his  life,  and  appreciated  the  benefit  he 
derived  from  this  new  religion,  but  for  herself  she  took  no 
interest  whatever  in  it.  The  kindness  of  a lady  nurse  was  the 
means  of  lier  conversion.  When  she  needed  help,  a missionary 
was  there  to  give  it  to  her.  Then  she  was  won.  Senor  Julio’s 
usually  smiling  face  was  radiant  when  his  wife  was  baptized, 
and  when  their  little  one  was  dedicated  to  God,  no  one  could  have 
wished  to  see  a happier  family  group. 

Senora  Flora  suffered  much  persecution  from  her  friends  and 
relatives.  She  was  isolated  from  all  companionship  with  other 
Christians,  and  when  the  development  of  an  insidious  disease 


396 


“LOS  PROPAGANDISTAS ” 


adclerl  physical  weakness  to  other  trials,  her  faith  began  to  fail. 
She  was  only  twenty-one  when  she  was  brought  to  the  hospital 
at  Cuzco,  with  the  hope  of  but  a few  months  longer  on  earth. 
There,  fellow-members  visited  her  daily,  praying  that  she  might 
enter  into  peace  with  God,  and  rejoice  once  more  in  Christ  as 
her  Saviour. 

Physically,  however,  she  grew  rapidly  worse,  and  on  January 
25th,  1908,  one  of  the  missionaries  was  summoned  to  her  bedside. 
He  thus  describes  the  end  : ^ — 

“ I hurried  up  to  the  hospital  with  a heavy  heart,  fearing 
that  in  her  weak  state  she  might  give  way  at  last,  and  become 
the  victim  of  the  priests.  On  entering  the  hospital,  I was  met 
by  the  Mother  Superior,  who,  in  a fiery  rage,  wanted  to  know 
what  my  business  was,  although,  of  course,  she  knew  well.  At 
once  I was  surrounded  by  about  twenty  excited  people,  all 
of  whom  protested  against  my  going  up  to  the  sick-room. 

“ ‘ Sefior,’  said  the  Mother  Superior,  ‘ there  is  a Roman 
Catholic  lady  upstairs.  She  is  dying,  and  half  a dozen  of 
your  disciples  are  killing  her  with  their  heresies,  disgracefully 
abusing  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  insulting  her  most 
holy  minister,  the  priest.’  ‘ Pardon  me,  Seiiora,’  I answered.  ‘ In 
the  first  place,  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  you  refer  to  are  not  my 
disciples;  they  are  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  if  they  are 
abu.sing  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  insulting  her  most 
holy  minister,  please  allow  me  to  go  up  and  I will  reprove  them. 
Secondly,  the  seilora  whom  I come  to  visit  is  not  a Catholic,  but 
a baptized  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  has  been  so  for 
three  years.  Her  husband,  too,  is  a Christian,  and  has  engaged 
in  definite  work  for  the  cause  of  Christ  for  nearly  two 
years.’ 

“ Hearing  this,  the  Mother  Superior  grew  hotter  and  said : 
‘ The  motlier  of  the  sick  woman  is  a most  devout  Catholic,  and 
what  the  mother  is  the  daiaghter  must  be.  She  took  her  religion 
from  lier  mother  even  as  she  took  her  milk  from  her  mother’s 
’ T.  PI  Payne,  Regions  Beyond,  April  1908. 


“SHE  DIED  LIKE  A DOG”  397 

breast.  It  is  a disgrace  for  any  child  to  depart  from  its  mother’s 
religion  or  beliefs.’  ‘ Even  if  it  be  paganism  ? ’ I asked. 

“ The  Mother  Superior  did  not  answer,  but  allowed  me  to 
pass  up  to  the  sick-room,  which  was  full  of  people.  Each 
one  held  an  image  of  some  kind,  which  in  turn  they  placed 
before  the  face  of  the  poor  dying  woman,  but  she  took  no  notice. 
Instead  of  answering  them  she  repeated  a hymn  she  had  learnt, 
and  Senor  Julio  tried  to  prevent  them  from  exciting  her. 

“ A drunken  priest  was  now  conducted  to  the  room,  and 
when  he  failed  to  move  the  heretic  the  Mother  Superior 
became  enraged  and  held  the  crucifix  close  to  the  dying 
woman’s  face,  calling  upon  her  to  recant.  With  this  the 
senora  gathered  all  her  strength,  and,  half-sitting  up  in  bed, 
pushed  the  crucifix  away,  saying : ‘ That  is  not  my  Christ ; 
it  is  only  the  work  of  man,  and  can  never  save.  Christ  is  at 
the  right  hand  of  God  making  intercession  for  us,  and  He  is 
in  my  heart,  too.  He  is  my  Saviour,  Friend,  and  King.  He 
will  soon  take  me  to  be  where  He  is.’ 

“ Her  own  mother  then  exclaimed : ‘ Daughter,  you  are 
going  to  die  like  a dog  if  you  do  not  recant.  Pray  forgive- 
ness of  the  Blessed  Virgin  or  your  .soul  will  be  damned.’ 

“ Then  the  dying  daughter  replied : ‘ Dear  mother,  do  not 
worry  about  the  welfare  of  my  soul ; that  is  in  the  safe 
keeping  of  Jesus  Christ ; but  be  careful  for  your  own  soul,  and 
give  your  heart  and  life  to  Christ.’ 

“ All  in  the  room  tried  to  compel  the  priest  to  sprinkle 
holy  water  over  her,  but  he  refused,  seeing  that  the  dying 
woman  was  firm  in  her  beliefs.  Then  one  in  the  room  picked 
up  a jug  of  water  and  threw  some  over  her. 

“ As  a last  effort  to  get  her  to  recant,  the  Mother  Superior 
went  to  fetch  a friar  from  the  monastery.  While  she  was 
away,  the  hu-sband  prayed  earnestly  that  the  friar  might  not 
be  permitted  to  enter  the  sick-room.  Prayer  was  answered, 
for  when  he  arrived,  on  seeing  us  in  the  corridor,  he  did  not 
even  come  upstairs,  but  walked  several  times  round  the  lower 


398 


“LOS  PROPAGANDISTAS ” 


corridor  and  then  went  away,  notwithstanding  the  pleadings 
of  the  mother  and  of  several  others. 

“ At  last  the  poor  dying  woman  was  left  at  peace  from 
all  her  enemies.  The  devices  of  the  Mother  Superior  had 
been  frustrated.  The  priest  had  left  the  place,  helpless  and 
beaten.  The  efforts  of  her  own  mother  had  proved  useless, 
and  the  friar  who  had  come  by  special  call  dared  not  enter. 

“ Wliat  a victory ! What  a glorious  testimony  to  the 
power  of  the  Gospel ! I believe  that  the  testimony  of  that 
dying  disciple  will  woi’k  greater  results  than  much  preaching. 

“ Some  of  her  last  words  to  her  enemies  were : ‘ Do  not 
tempt  me  to  leave  the  right  path.’ 

“We  could  see  that  the  end  was  veiy  near,  and  at  3.30  p.m. 
she  clasped  her  hands  together,  and  with  her  eyes  lifted 
towards  heaven,  repeated  the  words,  ‘Lord  Jesus.’  Then  her 
soul  flew  to  the  mansions  of  rest. 

“ Her  fight  was  hard,  but  her  stand  firm,  and  great  her  victory. 
The  death  of  the  first  Christian  woman  of  the  Church  in 
Cuzco  will  never  be  forgotten. 

“ As  I left  the  death  chamber  I met  the  Mother  Superior 
and  said:  ‘She  has  gone  to  join  the  ranks  of  the  redeemed 
ones  in  glory,  redeemed  by  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.’ 
With  a wicked  look  in  her  eyes  she  answered : ‘ God  knows 
where  she’s  gone  to.’ 

“ I comforted  the  poor  husband  as  much  as  was  in  my 
power,  and  he  was  satisfied  that  his  dear  wife  had  gone  to  be 
with  Christ,  which  is  far  better. 

“The  following  Sunday  was  a day  never  to  be  forgotten, 
for  when  we  walked  up  to  the  cemetery  we  found  a hundred 
people,  including  the  Mother  Superior  of  the  hospital,  and 
all  the  nurses,  at  the  graveside,  to  witness  the  burial  of  the 
‘ heretic.’ 

“ I conducted  the  ceremony,  reading  the  ordinary  service ; 
and  afterwards  one  of  the  church  members  gave  a most 
fitting  and  stirring  address  which  will  ring  in  the  ear  of  many 


“ SUCH  A CANDLE  I ” 


399 


for  a long  time  to  come.  He  called  to  mind  the  life  of  the 
departed  one,  how  she  had  left  the  Catholic  Church  and  put 
on  Christ,  how  she  had  suffered  on  her  death-bed  at  the 
hands  of  her  enemies  (her  own  mother  amongst  them),  who 
had  tried  to  compel  her  to  recant,  and  how  she  had  testified 
to  the  end  of  the  saving  power  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The 
service  was  closed  by  the  prayer  of  our  native  helper. 

“ Thus  we  laid  to  rest  the  body  of  Flora  Corbacho,  the  first 
Christian  woman  of  the  Cuzco  Church  to  die.  As  I witnessed 
all  these  things,  the  words  of  Latimer  rang  in  my  ears:  ‘We 
shall  this  day  light  such  a candle  by  God’s  grace  [in  Cuzco] 
as  I trust  shall  never  be  put  out.’  ” 

In  spite  of  all  difficulties,  a small  band  of  missionaries 
and  native  converts  is  still  labouring  manfully  against  the 
stupendous  organization  of  Rome.  The  work  which  has 
probably  told  more  for  the  evangelization  of  Pei'U  than  any 
other  is  the  colportage  of  agents  of  the  Bible  Societies;  and 
the  preparation  for  the  coming  of  evangelists  is  most  effect- 
ively wrought  by  the  use  of  that  unfailing  key  to  the  closed 
doors  of  fanatical  or  indifferent  homes — medical  knowledge. 
Throughout  the  500,000  square  miles  of  the  republic  there  are 
only  six  humble  little  halls  where  the  Gospel  is  preached ; 
but  where  the  voice  of  the  preacher  has  never  been  heard, 
literature  has  found  its  way ; and  now,  through  the  generosity 
of  an  English  friend,  a printing-press  has  been  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  missionaries  in  Arequipa.  With  the  necessary 
capital  they  could  send  evangelical  truth  to  numberless  towns 
and  villages,  and  prepare  the  way  for  many  native  churches, 
and  the  wider  spiritual  movement  which  is  surely  coming  to 
the  land  of  the  Incas. 

To-day  the  missionary  forces  in  Peru  are  wholly  inadequate 
to  touch  the  republic.  More  has  been  done  in  the  capital  than 
in  any  other  centre ; yet  there,  in  the  colleges  and  modern 
technical  schools  which  have  two  thousand  students,  in  the 


400 


“LOS  PROPAGANDIST  AS  “ 


sin-stricken  alleys  and  slums  with  their  swarming  populjition 
of  Negroes,  Chinese  immigrants,  and  Cholos;  in  the  wealthy 
suburbs  with  their  unapproachable  fanatical  homes,  and  the 
saddest  of  moral  tragedies,  such  as  are  left  unalleviated  in  so 
many  great  cities — in  all  these  various  needy  sections  of  Lima 
there  are  only  five  missionaries. 

No  district  in  the  Sierra  has  been  so  widely  visited  by 
missionaries  as  the  department  of  Cuzco  and  the  surrounding 
districts.  Yet  there  are  towns  like  Ayacucho,  with  between 
ten  and  fifteen  Roman  Catholic  churches  and  convents  to 
their  20,000  inhabitants,  which  have  never  had  a resident 
missionary,  and  are  isolated  from  the  only  two  stations  to-day 
occupied  in  Southern  Peru. 

Northern  Peru,  a country  larger  than  Italy,  with  a Uni- 
versity and  several  large  cities,  besides  important  and  populous 
Indian  districts,  has  only  one  missionary. 

If  every  soul  were  reached  in  each  of  the  eight  Peruvian 
towns  already  oecupied,  not  one-tenth  of  the  people  would  have 
had  an  opportunity  of  hearing  the  Gospel. 

The  problem  of  Peruvian  Romanism  becomes  of  increasing 
importance  to  us  as  we  view  its  relation  to  the  fate  of  the 
indigenous  peoples  of  the  republic.  The  immense  difficulties  of 
carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  Montana  can  only  be  met  when 
native  converts  have  been  drawn  from  amongst  those  who  have 
spent  their  lives  in  the  forest  land.  The  establishment  of  a 
mission  station  in  Iquitos  is  an  urgent  need.  Not  only  will  it 
be  a witness  for  Christ  in  one  of  America’s  darkest  cities,  but 
it  will  probably  lead  to  the  discovery  of  the  wisest  means  of 
approacliing  the  savage  population. 

Our  success  in  meeting  the  Roman  problem  lias  another  issue 
of  still  greater  importance.  Only  with  tlie  help  of  bi-linguals, 
or  natives  of  the  Sierra  who  speak  both  Spanish  and  Kechua, 
can  we  ever  hope  effectively  to  reach  the  remnant  of  the  noble 
Inca  race.  Two  million  Indians — a people  worthy  of  our  most 
strenuous  effort — wait  for  the  Truth.  Plans  for  their  help  have 


SHALL  WE  NOT  ? 


401 


gradually  matured,  and  when,  in  1907,  Dr.  Guinness  and  I 
visited  Peru,  it  was  with  the  aim  of  purchasing  a farm,  where 
by  employment  of  Indian  shepherds  and  cultivators,  the 
missionaries  could  endeavour  to  bridge  over  the  gulf  at 
present  separating  them  from  the  Indians.  In  spite  of  diffi- 
culties, inconceivable  to  those  who  do  not  know  Peru,  the 
enterprise  has  been  carried  through.  This  could  not  be  unless 
the  scheme  were  of  God,  and  we  wait  with  prayerful  expecta- 
tion for  news  from  the  missionaries  who  during  the  summer 
of  1908  took  up  residence  on  the  beautiful  farm  of  “Urco.” 

“No  mission  field,”  wrote  a veteran  missionary  in  South 
America,  “ seems  to  me  so  full  of  unique  interest  as  this  old  Inca 
Empire,”  and,  we  may  add,  none  is  more  appealing  in  its  need. 

“ Is  there  a Saviour  1 Which  is  the  way  1 
Where  can  our  spirits  find  peace  ? 

Sorrow  and  suffering  sadden  our  day — 

Would  that  existence  might  cease. 

Hark,  they  are  calling  ! Jesus’  lost  sheep. 

Wandering  in  darkness  and  woe. 

Forth  with  the  answer  ! Wake  from  your  sleep  ! 

Haste,  ye  swift  messengers  ! Go  ! 

Unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth 
Ye  shall  be  witnesses  Mine : 

Not  in  your  own  strength  send  I you  forth, 

But  in  the  Power  Divine.” 

Hark  ! He  is  calling.  Jesus,  our  King, 

Sends  us  glad  tidings  to  show. 

Unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth. 

Shall  we  not,  shall  we  not  go  ? ” ^ 


26 


‘ Lucy  Guinness  Kumm. 


Chapter  XXXV. — Missionary  Realities — 

lF7iai  I learnt  of  missionary  life  in  the  land  of  the  Incas, 
and  how  I learnt  it — A pioneering  expedition — Across  the 
frozen  pampa  hy  night — Life  and  death  in  a missionary  home. 


403 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

MISSIONARY  REALITIES 

“ In  the  several  sallies  about  his  parish,  . . . you  will  easily  comprehend 
that  the  parson  would  both  hear  and  see  enough  to  keep  his  philosophy 
from  rusting.” — Lawrence  Sterne. 

IT  was  in  Peru  that  I had  my  first  experience  of  realities 
of  missionary  life.  Previously,  missionaries  had  been 
personalities  almost  as  vaguely  conceived  by  me  as  were 
seraphim.  I had  read  a good  deal  about  mission  fields 
and  mission  methods  and  mission  needs,  but  never  any- 
thing which  impressed  me  with  the  reality  of  missionary 
life.  At  school  I met  numbers  of  well-educated  girls  who 
were  as  ignorant  as  I about  the  matter.  Some  imagined 
the  missionary  career  romantic ; others  thought  it  remunera- 
tive ; others  considered  it  the  slow  torture  of  a martyr ; and 
others  had  never  heard  of,  or  thought  anything  about  the 
subject. 

So  please  may  I ask  all  well-informed  friends  to  skip  this 
chapter,  while  I tell  the  others  what  I learnt  of  missionary 
life  in  the  land  of  the  Incas,  and  how  I learnt  it. 

The  fii’st  lesson  was  a great  surprise.  Mission AKiES  are  very 
ORDINARY  PEOPLE.  To  my  mind,  the  word  “ pioneer  ” used  to 
conjure  up  a vi.sion  of  Livingstone,  dying  alone,  on  his  knees ; 
but  since  I went  on  a small  pioneering  expedition  myself,  the 
word  has  got  strangely  associated  with  cold  and  hunger  and 
disreputable  clothes. 


405 


4o6 


MISSIONARY  REALITIES 


We  were  to  descend  from  the  Sierra  to  the  Montana,  and, 
after  seeing  something  of  the  savages,  were  to  send  home  a 
full  report  of  the  possibility  of  missionary  work  in  their  midst. 
My  diary  was  not  written  for  publication,  but  perhaps  it  is 
all  the  more  reliable  for  that ! 

We  have  started  at  last!  Hurrah  for  this  fine  wide  pampa, 
with  its  yellow  grass  and  rough  cart-road,  its  fresh  rarefied 
air,  its  cloudless  blue  sky,  and  the  distant  rocks  and 
mountain  peaks  which  enclose  it.  I feel  alive  here ! There  is 
space — far-reaching,  uninhabited,  free.  We  are  away  from 
puny  cities  ; we  have  left  mankind  behind ; we  are  beyond 
the  bounds  of  civilization.  Hurrah  for  the  open  plain — the 
pampa  1 

Our  party  consists  of  six.  On  the  front  seat  sits  Dick  (an 
Irish  boy  who  is  driving  us),  and  the  Captain — a brown-faced 
salt  from  Columbia.  Behind,  sit  a mis.sionary  and  Mrs.  Gray 
— a Peruvian  lady,  who  is  taking  a tiny  stranger  back  to  her 
husband  at  Agualani.  The  pioneering  party  is  completed  by 
two  of  us  on  the  back  seat,  with  a pile  of  blankets,  jackets, 
sleeping-bags,  and  sweaters. 

I guess  we  are  something  of  a disreputable  lot ! Here  are 
leggings,  none  too  new ; here  are  sweaters  of  all  colours ; here 
are  ancient  felts  and  shapeless  .straws — an  outfit  warranted  to 
last  the  journey,  but  not  to  charm  the  civilized ! 

They  say  our  faces  will  .suffer  from  this  wind  and  sun, 
but  at  present  I am  enjoying  both.  It  is  glorious  sunshine — 
blazing  from  the  smooth  azure  above,  sparkling  on  the  deep 
blue  of  Lake  Ocaliry,  and  shining  on  the  still  mountain  reflec- 
tions in  the  pampa  swamps.  And  the  wind ! You  must  come 
to  the  pampa  to  know  what  the  wind  is  like.  It  seems  to 
blow  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth, — a free,  generous, 
rollicking  wind,  which  ripples  the  .streams,  whispers  in  the 
porcupine  grasses,  lifts  the  baby-traveller’s  veil,  worries  the 
mules,  reddens  my  cheeks, — in  fact,  treats  us  all  to  its  rough 
good-tempered  embrace 


ROMANCE  OR  REALITY? 


407 


Now  our  road  has  left  the  pampa,  and  winds  along  the 
hillside  above  the  Asillo  River,  with  its  crystal  waters  and 
blue  pebble-bed.  Here  is  the  little  town  of  Asillo, — a cluster 
of  mud  huts  round  a great  mud  church.  The  Indians  arc 
celebrating  Corpus  Christi,  as  the  four  castillos  in  the  plaza 
show.  Men  and  women  come  out  from  the  chicharias  as  we 
pass,  with  their  cornets,  their  combs,  and  their  drums,  and  from 
the  distance  we  can  still  hear  sounds  of  dancing  and  drunken 
mirth. 

At  a small  mud-house,  which  is  always  patronized  by  the 
American  company  whose  road  into  the  Montana  we  are 
following,  we  dismount  a little  stiffly,  and  after  a long  wait 
proceed  to  the  “ dining-saloon.”  All  troop  through  a bedroom 
(a  mud-hole  with  a bedstead  in  it)  into  a small  back  apartment, 
containing  a table  and  a form.  But  in  spite  of  defective 
accommodation,  here  are  fried  eggs  and  toasted  native  bread, 
and  we  are  real  hungry.  Dick,  our  driver,  finds  me  a chair, 
the  Captain  obtains  one  for  Mrs.  Gray,  and  before  long  I have 
served  the  eggs  all  round,  and  we  are  busy  appeasing  our 
hunger. 

Hardly  are  the  eggs  gone  when  an  old  Indian  woman,  bent, 
wrinkled,  and  dressed  in  dirty  rags,  enters  with  another  dish. 
Our  missionary  farmer  is  wise  concerning  live  stock,  so  we 
appeal  to  him  : — 

“ What  is  it  ? ” 

“ Oh,  boiled  sheeps’  tongues — a great  delicacy  ! ” 

“Well,  I tell  you  I am  hungry,  and  don’t  particularly  mind 
what  it  is,”  says  the  Captain,  as  he  helps  himself ; and  on  his 
recommendation  we  all  try  it. 

Now  Dick  has  his  team  in  readiness,  and  we  are  off  again. 
The  seats  are  harder  than  ever,  and  my  gallops  of  the  last  few 
days  on  uncomfortable  saddles  are  strangely  present  in  my 
thoughts.  The  view  does  not  change ; indeed  it  is  getting  too 
cold  to  think  of  views ; and  we  have  to  sleep  on  this  pampa 
to-night  in  a mud-house  ! Ugh  ! 


4o8 


MISSIONARY  REALITIES 


We  were  very  cold  when  we  reached  the  solitary  home  of  one 
of  the  company’s  agents,  and  so,  after  inspecting  the  one  bedroom 
with  its  four  mud-beds  which  were  to  accommodate  six  of  us, 
we  went  for  a short  walk.  But  shouting  from  the  house 
recalled  us. 

''Una  teUgrama!”  we  heard,  and  hurried  back.  The 
message  was  being  written  down  word  by  word  as  it  was 
forwarded.  A few  hours  later  we  should  have  been  beyond  the 
reach  of  telegraphs ! 

Tick.  Tick.  “ Temperature  rising.”  Tick.  “ Must  return 
by  first  train.”  Tick.  Tick. 

This  was  dated  three  days  ago.  It  had  taken  all  that  time 
to  travel  sixty  miles ; and  meanwhile  the  wife  of  one  of  the 
missionaries  in  our  party  had  been  sickening  with  fever,  and 
wondering  why  her  husband  did  not  return.  But  another 
message  was  being  recorded,  and  we  waited,  wondering  if  it  was 
for  us,  but  catching  only  an  isolated  Spanish  word  now  and 
then. 

“ Very  serious  typhoid.  Come  without  delay.  Horses 
waiting  at  Checacupe.” 

It  was  all  so  sudden,  so  strange,  so  sad,  yet  there  was  no 
time  to  grieve.  It  meant  a ride  by  night,  if  any  beasts  were 
procurable,  that  we  might  reach  the  railway  in  time  for  the 
next  train  to  Checacupe.  This  was  one  of  the  terrible  realities 
of  missionary  life ! 

So  eight  o’clock  found  us  astride  good  horses,  some  biscuits 
and  a little  chocolate  in  our  pockets,  and  all  the  coats  and 
shawls  and  sweaters  we  possessed  on  our  backs.  There  was  no 
moon  yet,  but  we  did  not  wish  to  lose  time,  so  started  off  with 
our  Indian  guide  in  the  dark. 

Mile  after  mile,  mile  after  mile,  until  a great  silver 
moon  appeared  above  the  black  hills ! League  after  league, 
until  the  hills  were  reflected  in  the  quiet,  silver  river  ! Still  on 
— while  the  pampa  wind  was  growing  restless,  and  rippling  the 
bright  mirrored  stars  in  the  marshes ! Still  on — while  our 


“ BELIEVE  IN  ME  ” 409 

horses  grew  more  tired,  and  their  pace  became  more  jolting,  and 
our  legs  were  rubbed  sore  by  the  saddles  ! 

We  tried  to  be  bright  and  encourage  one  another,  and  never 
owned  up  to  any  defect  in  the  saddles  or  horses.  Sometimes 
we  nibbled  biscuits ; sometimes  remarked  how  much  colder  it 
might  have  been ; but  I could  not  have  believed  my  sweater 
and  fur  jacket  were  on  my  back  ! My  feet  had  lost  all  feeling, 
and  my  face  was  only  saved  by  my  sweater  collar,  which  came 
up  to  my  ears,  and  which,  with  the  shawl,  covered  all  but  my 
eyes  and  some  frosted  strands  of  hair. 

Asillo  at  last ! And  though  morning  had  dawned,  the 
dancing  still  continued,  but  the  music  was  now  tuneless,  and  the 
noises  very  drunken. 

Yes,  morning  had  dawned  ! June  1st,  1907 — my  nineteenth 
birthday — but  little  were  we  thinking  of  birthdays  just  then  ! 

We  were  hunched-up  muffled  heaps  holding  on  to  the  front 
of  Mexican  saddles  in  a despairing  kind  of  way — always 
thinking  about  Cuzco,  and  praying  the  old  prayer  whose  words 
rise  to  our  lips  when  all  is  pain  and  inexplicable  mj^^stery — 
“ Our  Father,  Thy  will  be  done.” 

“Do  you  think  she  can  pull  through  ? You  know  how  very 
down  she  is.  She  has  no  strength  to  fall  back  upon — no 
constitution  ' ” 

And  I could  only  stretch  out  my  hands  in  the  darkness  and 
say : “ It  is  going  to  be  a hard  fight,  but  He  will  bring  her 
through,  I believe.  Keep  praying.” 

“ I can’t  pray.” 

“ Then  let’s  just  trust.” 

So  we  rode  on,  and  our  horses  paced  at  an  awful  gait,  so  tired 
were  they ; and  the  Indian  guide  on  his  shaggy  little  pony 
dropped  farther  and  farther  behind. 

Just  one  thought  was  in  my  mind — one  verse,  which 
repeated  itself  over  and  over  again.  The  low  murmur  of  the 
river  said  it ; the  silver  moon  overhead  said  it ; the  wind  in  the 
pampa  grass  said  it; — all  the  dark,  sleeping  world  about  me 


410 


MISSIONARY  REALITIES 


seemed  to  repeat  the  old,  all-comforting,  heart-stilling  words — 
“ Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled — believe  in  Me.” 

We  were  too  cold  to  ride  any  farther,  so  hobbled  on  foot 
over  the  pampa  track  for  a league  or  so.  Only  twelve  miles 
farther ! I galloped  in  the  strength  of  expectation.  But  oh, 
the  cold ! 

At  last  the  “kilometre”  post  was  left  behind,  and  we  chased 
the  glimmering  moonlight  on  the  corrugated  iron  roof  of  the 
Company’s  Station  on  the  railway,  while  it  seemed  to  elude  us, 
mocking  us,  shimmering  always  a league  ahead. 

Through  the  river,  a gallop  up  the  steep  incline  to  the 
stable,  and  we  had  reached  the  station. 

I dropped  off  my  saddle,  and  held  round  the  horse’s  neck 
until  my  feet  learned  to  stand  again,  and  then  limped  to  the 
great  gates.  Alas,  it  was  4.30  a.m.  and  every  door  was  shut. 

When  we  had  managed  to  burgle  through  the  outer  gate, 
and  had  left  our  horses  and  the  Indian  in  the  yard,  we  were  but 
little  nearer  shelter  and  bed  ; for  though  the  llamas  sleeping  in 
the  yard  raised  their  heads  to  greet  us,  and  the  dogs  barked 
wildly  and  leapt  around  us,  no  one  in  the  inner  patio  of  the 
house,  or  even  in  the  stable,  heard  us  or  came  to  let  us  in. 

As  it  seemed  impossible  to  get  into  the  house  from  the  yard 
we  tried  the  windows,  but  every  one  was  barred.  I could 
hardly  stand  for  stiffness  and  cold,  and  we  had  to  do  something ; 
so,  “ by  the  struggling  moonbeam’s  misty  light,”  we  climbed 
over  the  roofs  and  dropped  down  by  the  help  of  a rafter  and 
horse-box  into  the  stable.  Once  there,  and  past  the  great  watch- 
dogs, which  friglitened  me  with  their  snappings  and  savage 
growls,  we  had  only  to  get  under  one  other  gate,  and  then  we 
were  in  the  house  patio. 

Next  morning,  after  a short  sleep,  we  managed  to  hobble 
about,  but  gave  up  all  hopes  of  ever  being  warm  again.  At  last 
the  train  arrived  from  Arecjuipa,  and  I slept  mo.st  of  the  way  to 
Checacupe.  There,  a missionary  was  waiting  with  good  horses, 
but  as  there  was  not  one  to  spare  for  me,  I had  to  watch  the 


THE  BORDERLAND 


411 

party  gallop  away  up  the  hill  towards  Cuzco,  and  then  found 
myself  alone  in  the  hotel. 

Seventeen  men  were  in  the  dining-saloon — drinking, 
spitting,  and  throwing  dice  for  wine ; hut  I was  too  tired  to 
think  of  eating,  and  just  dropped  asleep  on  my  bed. 

On  the  morrow  a twelve  hours’  journey  in  a lumbering  old 
coach  brought  me  to  Cuzco.  What  news  would  the  friends 
waiting  for  me  have  to  give  ? Had  the  riders  been  in  time  ? 

Up  the  long  smelly  streets,  past  the  well-known  Inca 
palaces,  over  the  great  plaza,  and  so  homewards  I passed 
with  the  missionary  who  had  kindly  met  me — all  the  time 
repeating  the  words  of  the  last  bulletin:  “Fever  lower,  but 
weakness  critical.” 

That  was  the  beginning  of  four  months,  the  very  memory 
of  which  is  a nightmare.  “ Who  nurses  typhoid  can  nurse  any 
sickness;”  and  who  nurses  successfully  in  Cuzco  has  love,  skill, 
patience,  invention,  and  endurance  enough  for  any  crisis.  For- 
tunately, there  was  a trained  missionary  nurse  in  the  house, 
and  her  untiring  care  was  the  means  of  saving  that  frail  life. 
Fortunately  also,  the  patient’s  husband  had  studied  medicine, 
and  could  now  prescribe.  They  were  absolutely  alone.  No 
one  in  Cuzco  could  help.  Without  conveniences,  without 
advice  or  relief  fx’om  the  sti’ain  of  undivided  responsibility, 
the  brave  watchers  still  prayed  and  believed. 

Missionary  life ! The  thought  repeated  itself  in  my  brain 
as  the  hours  of  the  night-watch  slowly  passed.  Nothing  stirred 
in  the  room ; only  a low  groan  from  the  sick-bed  occasionally 
broke  the  silence ; and  though  the  frosty  air  was  bitterly  cold, 
the  patient’s  brow  was  burning;  and  though  the  moonlight 
blazed  on  the  white  walls  of  Cuzco,  no  light  lit  her  dull  un- 
seeing eyes. 

Missionary  life ! My  footsteps  seemed  to  echo  the  thought 
as  I paced  the  corridor  encircling  the  patio,  with  baby  in  my 
arms.  Poor  little  one!  Well  that  she  could  not  know  that 


412 


MISSIONARY  REALITIES 


to-night  might  be  her  mothei'’s  last ; for  her  tiny  weak  body 
was  already  full  of  pain,  and  day  by  day  her  small  store  of 
strength  was  dwindling. 

Meetings  had  to  be  closed  because  the  people  were  afraid  of 
sickness;  nor  was  thex'e  time  for  anything  but  nursing  and 
household  duties.  Yet  this  was  missionary  life ! 


Chapter  XXXVI. — The  Missionary  Genius — 

Missionaries  who  are  their  own  doctors,  chemists,  carpenters, 
plumbers,  upholsterers,butchers,  and  bakers — “Only  a missionary’s 
wife  ” — The  conflict  which  rages  about  the  mission-house — How 
a sceptic  %oas  won  for  the  ca^cse  by  lohat  he  saw  in  Cuzco — The 
triumph  of  prayer. 


413 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


THE  MISSIONARY  GENIUS 

“ . . . ic  to  so]’e  wat 
]’set  l)i]5  ill  eorle  iiidryliteu  ]’ea\v 
jiaet  lie  his  fe.r]i-locan  fseste  hinde, 
healde  his  liord  cofati  hycge  swa  he  wille. 

No  raaig  werig-niod  wyrde  \vi]i-stondan 
ne  se  hi-eo  hyge  helpe  gefremman.” 

The  WANDEREKd 

My  second  lesson  took  longer  to  learn,  not  because  it  was 
less  striking,  but  less  obvious.  Missionaries  are  very 

EXTRAORDINARY  PEOPLE. 

A man  once  applied  for  training  at  Harley  College  who 
said  that  he  had  tried  seven  other  careers  and  found  himself 
unsuited  to  succeed  in  those  lines,  so  felt  that  God  was  calling 
him  to  the  mission-field ! Such  is  the  antithesis  of  what  I 
found  in  Peru.  It  had  not  been  my  custom  to  observe  house- 
hold details,  but  dusting  developed  insight.  Look  round  the 
comfortable  little  missionary  home.  If  you  know  the  allowance 
with  which  this  has  been  kept  up,  you  will  confess  yourself 
absolutely  unable  to  reconcile  the  two.  Well,  this  board  floor 
was  laid  by  a missionary ; the  mud  walls  wex-e  smoothed  and 
painted  by  the  present  owners;  the  canvas  ceiling  was  sewn 
by  them ; baby’s  high  chair  is  home-made.  Come  into  the 
bedroom  which  has  been  loaned  to  me.  Our  missionary  nurse 
devised  the  plan  of  sticking  newspapers  over  the  ixiud  floor  to 

* “ I know  in  truth  that  it  is  a noble  habit  for  man  to  bind  fast  his  heart, 
to  guard  his  treasure  chamber,  though  he  think  what  he  will.  The  weary 
in  mind  cannot  withstand  fate,  imr  the  sad  benefit  from  help.” 

4-5 


4i6 


THE  MISSIONARY  GENIUS 


keep  the  room  cleaner ; she  laid  the  linoleum  herself ; converted 
a deck-chair  into  this  pretty  piece  of  furniture;  improvised 
these  book-shelves  with  several  boards  and  a strap ; transformed 
an  old  packing-case  and  a tin  trunk  into  this  washstand ; and 
hid  the  crumbling  walls  with  photos  of  well-known  and  much- 
loved faces. 

This  house  is  a continual  wonder  to  me ! Here  are  chests 
of  drawers,  wardrobes,  arm-chairs,  stoves — all  the  handiwork  of 
the  missionaries  themselves.  I have  met  those  who  implied 
by  their  conversation  that  “ clergymen  failures  ” were  the  right 
men  for  the  mission  field.  The  profession  in  Peru  seemed  to 
me  to  develop  genius. 

Perchance  you  too  have  heard  the  expression : “ Only  a 
missionary’s  wife.”  I stand  amazed  at  the  lady  missionary ! 
She  goes  out  alone  to  dens  of  iniquity,  perhaps  at  dead  of  night, 
in  answer  to  the  appeal  of  some  poor  sufferer.  She  plays  the 
organ  and  leads  the  singing  in  the  meetings.  She  makes  her  own 
and  the  children’s  clothes,  and  educates  the  little  ones  herself. 
Moreover,  she  deals  with  Peruvian  servants,  which  is,  without 
exception,  the  most  appalling  problem  which  I have  ever 
encountered.  In  the  missionary  home,  while  meals  go  on  as 
usual,  she  may  casually  mention  that  the  servants  have  gone 
off  for  the  day  without  giving  any  notice  whatever.  Although 
kitchen  life  is  enough  to  exasperate  her,  she  cheers  us  at  meals 
with  the  comic  aspect  of  the  muchachas.  To-day  it  is : “ This 
morning  I told  the  kitchen-girl  that  in  England  we  sometimes 
have  oilcloth  on  the  kitchen  floor.  ‘ Then  whatever  do  you  do 
with  the  slops  ? ’ she  exclaimed.”  Or,  “ I am  so  sorry  there  are 
no  more  potatoes.  The  boy,  after  pretending  to  search  every 
corner  of  the  kitchen  for  the  dish,  has  confessed  to  having 
eaten  them  himself.” 

It  takes  more  than  ordinary  prayer,  and  pluck,  and  trouble, 
and  determination  to  keep  well  in  Peru.  Yet  over  and  over 


“BEWARE  OF  ” 


417 


again  have  we  proved  the  close  connection  of  physical  and 
spiritual  health.  In  the  fever  zone  of  the  Coast,  where  malaria 
and  agues  are  abroad ; in  the  rarefied  air  of  the  Andes,  where 
the  heart  is  strained  to  its  utmost;  on  long  journeys  where  one 
is  obliged  to  stop  in  insanitary  hotels,  and  refrain  from  drink- 
ing for  fear  of  typhoid — everywhere  is  the  same  element  of 
difficulty. 

Searching  for  lodgings  in  Lima,  the  inexperienced  missionary 
bachelor  enters  an  unused  room,  only  to  hear  the  landlady 
interject:  “Beware  of  the  fleas!”  Alas!  there  is  often  need 
for  her  warning ! 

The  preservation  of  spiritual  health  is  a still  more  difficult 
matter.  He  soon  finds  that  the  baleful  spell  of  Romanism  is 
affecting  him  personally.  “ Surely,”  he  thinks,  “ paganism 
would  but  make  me  the  more  feaidessly  loyal  to  God,  and 
Mahommedanism  the  more  earnest  in  the  proclamation  of  my 
Prophet,  Priest,  and  King;  but  this  subtle  system — so  true  and 
yet  so  false,  so  plausible  and  yet  so  unbiblical,  so  fair  and 
yet  so  corrupt — pollutes  the  very  atmosphere  we  breathe.  It 
tolerates  immorality ; it  kills  spiritual  life ; it  especially  breeds 
little  faults  such  as  inconsistencies,  uncharitable  thoughts, 
secret  sins  and  deceits.” 

It  is  not  possible  to  exaggerate  the  force  of  Satanic  power 
which  is  brought  to  bear  upon  the  missionaries  in  Roman 
Catholic  lands.  So  little  is  Jesus  Christ  known  there,  that  the 
devil  seems  fearless  in  his  attacks.  One  is  conscious  that  the 
powers  of  darkness  are  at  work  on  all  sides ; the  mission-house 
is  the  centre  of  the  conflict ; and  before  any  soul  is  brought  into 
the  Kingdom,  its  redemption  has  been  sealed  by  a victory  in 
a missionary’s  heart. 

Strain — physical,  mental,  and  spiritual — is  upon  the  workers  ; 
isolation,  uncongenial  associations,  and  discouragement  are  often 
inevitable ; and  through  all  of  these  the  Enemy  tries  to  destroy 
the  life  of  the  soul.  The  prayer  of  many  a missionary  to-day  is 

the  longing  which  was  so  beautifully  expressed  by  Mrs.  Newell : 
27 


4i8 


THE  MISSIONARY  GENIUS 


“ We — practically  the  only  witnesses  in  all  the  interior  of  Peru 
— must  be  living  epistles.  The  people  will  not  read  their 
Bibles ; they  must  read  Christ  in  our  deportment,  words,  and 
deeds.  Pray  that  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  may  be  upon 
us ; then  will  men  and  women  be  attracted  to  our  Master,  and 
He  will  be  glorified.” 


Only  the  courage  of  conviction  can  face  the  mission-field. 
One  who  knows  that  God  has  called  him,  and  who  believes 
that  God’s  kingdom  is  coming,  though  man  see  no  si^n,  will 
conquer  anywhere. 

It  was  a Frenchman  who  said  that  if  the  English  won  at 
Waterloo  it  was  because  they  were  too  dense  to  see  when  they 
were  beaten.  God  has  raised  up  missionaries  in  Peru  like  those 
brave  English  soldiers — missionaries  who  are  willing  to  fight 
on  through  what  ofttimes  appears  defeat,  knowing  that  their 
Captain  never  was,  nor  ever  will  be,  overcome.  “ Missionaries 
may  exist’’  wrote  Mr.  Newell,  “ but  they  certainly  cannot  work, 
unless  they  are  possessed  by  the  unfaltering  conviction  that 
God  is  either  actively  or  passively  engaged  in  every  event  of 
their  liv^es,  however  minute  such  events  may  be.  All  things 
work  together  for  good.” 

Read  between  the  lines  of  the  following  letter  from  Peru, 
and  notice  how  the  worker’s  conviction  was  being  tested ; — 

“ Plodding  on — a little  stained  and  dusty  from  the  way — • 
a little  weary,  a little  disappointed,  a little  hopeless — already 
finding  that  romance  peels  off  like  paint  from  mud  walls, 
revealing  a good  deal  of  commonplace  kind  underneath. 

“ I know  you  long  to  hear  of  a time  of  real  soul-saving. 
That  is  still  in  the  future ! This  is  surely  one  of  the  hardest 
fields  upon  earth — so  choked  with  weedy  tangle,  and  so  strewn 
with  stones.  May  the  plough  of  the  Almighty  go  through  it 
before  we  despair  ! ” 

Mr.  Jowett  tells  the  story  of  how  he  once  asked  a 


“TREASURE  IN  EARTHEN  VESSELS” 


419 


young  missionary  on  his  first  furlough  why  he  was  going 
back. 

“ Because  I can’t  sleep  for  thinking  of  them,”  was  the 
reply. 

We  have  considered  the  trials  and  tests  of  the  mission- 
field,  but  here  is  its  triumph : he  could  not  stay  away  ! The 
fascination  of  the  place  and  people  and  work  was  upon  him ; 
no  greater  sorrow  could  have  come  to  him  than  to  be  unable  to 
isolate  himself  in  that  asphyxiating  atmosphere,  and  to  work 
against  tremendous  odds,  leaving  his  grave  as  a mark  by  which 
others  should  follow  to  reap  where  he  had  sown. 

An  Indian  Colonel  visited  Cuzco  during  my  stay ; he  was 
pleasant  company,  and  interested,  if  slightly  sceptical.  “ I 
think  you  missionaries  must  be  very  good  people  to  live  here ! ” 
he  remarked ; “ I was  never  in  a town  in  the  East  which  could 
compare  with  Cuzco  for  dirt.” 

One  of  the  missionaries  took  the  visitor  up  to  the  cemetery. 
Several  funerals  were  going  on,  and  the  weird  music  of  Indian 
flutes  was  echoed  back  by  the  mountain- walls  of  the  valley. 
Suddenly  a young  man  embraced  Mr.  Payne.  “ Don’t  you 
remember  me  ? ” he  asked.  “ I used  to  work  for  you,  and  I 
have  never  forgotten  your  kindness,  nor  the  words  which  you 
spoke  to  me.  Now  I stand  up  for  the  Evangelistas,  for  I know 
what  their  lives  are ; but  this  often  means  persecution.”  Tears 
were  in  the  lad’s  eyes,  and  Mr.  Payne  was  much  moved  at  this 
sign  of  God’s  silent  co-operation. 

“Well,  what  is  all  this  about?”  jocularly  inquired  the 
Colonel ; and  when  he  had  heard  the  -story — “ Phew  ! ” he  said 
to  himself. 

On  the  way  down  the  steep  cobbled  road  into  Cuzco, 
a master-tailor  came  running  out  of  his  shop  to  stop  Mr. 
Payne.  “ Sir,  you  remember  the  little  book  which  you  gave 
me  yesterday.  The  first  chapter  is  about  John  the  Baptist, 
the  second  about  a marriage  feast,  the  next  about  the  man 
who  came  to  Jesus  at  ni^ht.  I have  read  it  well.  These 

o 


420 


THE  MISSIONARY  GENIUS 


are  wonderful  words.  Can  you  give  me  anything  else  about 
Jesus  ? ” 

“ Another ! ” remarked  the  Colonel ; “ what  was  it  this  time  ? 
Not  the  same  kind  of  business,  I’ll  be  bound  ! ” And  when  the 
story  was  told  he  turned  to  the  young  man  with — “ I begin  to 
think  that  it  must  be  nearly  worth  while  to  be  a missionary  in 
Cuzco!” 

Answered  prayer  is  the  missionary’s  chief  reward.  Well 
I remember  one  night  when  we  rose  from  our  knees  and  went 
into  the  little  meeting-room,  convinced  that  God  was  about  to 
answer  us  and  give  a blessing.  No  one  was  there.  The  sight 
of  the  empty  hall  .sent  one  short  chill  through  us,  but  faith 
could  not  be  damped.  We  knew  God  was  going  to  answer  our 
prayers.  But  although  we  played  and  sang,  no  one  came.  It 
was  five  minutes  to  meeting-time — the  hour — a quarter  of  an 
hour  past, — and  still  the  hall  Avas  empty.  Two  native  Christians 
came  up  at  last,  and  sat  down  sadly.  “ No  bites  to-night,”  they 
said.  They  had  been  toiling  and  had  taken  nothing.  Still, 
against  all  probabilities,  we  believed  that  God  was  going  to 
give  us  a good  meeting.  We  could  not  bring  ourselves  to  doubt 
it.  Had  we  not  prayed  ? 

The  first  hymn  was  given  out  to  the  empty  hall,  and  we 
sang  cheerily — 

“ La  nave  evangelista 
Boga,  boga ; 

La  nave  evangelista 

, Boga  hasta  Canaan."  * 

At  the  end  of  the  second  verse  there  was  a sound  of  feet 
on  the  stairs ; the  music  of  the  third  went  a little  wrong  because 
the  organist  was  so  excited  at  the  newcomers ; and  before  the 
hymn  closed,  the  little  white-washed  hall  was  fuller  than  it  had 
been  for  months. 

The  singing  died  away,  and  the  speaker’s  heart  was  full  as 
he  said,  “ Oremos  ! ” (Let  us  pray).  He  had  learned  more  of  prayer 
^ “ The  Gospel  ship  rows  towards  Canaan.” 


“FORGET  NOT” 


421 


that  night  than  in  all  his  previous  reading  on  the  subject.  He 
might  forget  theories  and  arguments,  but  never  this  experience. 

At  every  step  of  my  stay  with  the  missionaries  in  Peru,  the 
power  of  prayer  was  proved.  If  ever  now  I need  my  faith 
strengthened,  I think  of  the  still,  death-like  form  by  which  I 
watched  in  the  moonlit  room  far  away ; of  the  tiny  baby, 
whom  I hardly  dared  to  hope  I should  see  again  when  she  was 
taken  away  from  Cuzco ; and  I remember  that  the  patient  is 
to-day  looking  stronger  than  she  has  for  years,  and  that  Baby 
is  as  bonny  a little  girl  as  can  be  found  in  any  English 
home. 

“ Bless  the  Lord,  O my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits  ! ” 


AFTERWORD 


HEX  only  the  beginning  of  the  missionary  subject  has  been 


reached,  the  story  of  a schoolgirl’s  tour  must  end.  Its 
fate  is  part  of  a far  greater  issue : the  fate  of  Peru,  and  that 
which  is  so  closely  bound  with  it — the  fate  of  our  own  souls. 
Neither  reader  nor  writer  is  the  .same  as  when  the  first  page 
was  begun ; nor  can  they  ever  be. 

“ Facts  about  a far-away  land — how  can  they  affect  my 
spiritual  life  ? ” you  ask.  Friend,  these  facts  have  raised  within 
us  a moral  struggle — a question  which  must  be  answered.  To 
ignore  it — to  forget  it — are  as  definite  replies  as  to  yield  the 
whole  life  in  response  to  its  appeal. 

No  more  grave  responsibility  has  the  Master  ever  given  us, 
than  the  knowledge  of  this  need.  He  has  left  us  face  to  face 
with  an  almost  wholly  neglected  land,  and  is  now  waiting  to 
see  what  we  will  do.  M’^ill  He  measure  our  love  to  Himself 
by  our  attitude  and  acts  towards  Peru  ? 

May  not  the  response  to  our  worship  be  the  Master’s 
words — 

“ Whoso  hath  this  world’s  good,  and  seeth  his  brother  have 
need,  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels  of  compassion  from  him,  how 
dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in  him  ? ” 

“ Whosoever  loseth  his  life  for  My  sake  and  the  Gospel’s, 
the  same  shall  keep  it  unto  life  eternal.” 

“ Lovest  thou  Me  ? ” 

“ Feed  My  sheep.” 

O Saviour  and  Master ! We  thought  in  the  past  that  we 
were  serving  Thee ; but  in  the  light  of  Galilee  our  service  was 


IN  THE  SHADOW  OF  GETHSEMANE  423 


too  often  mechanical  or  passionless.  We  thought  that  we  loved 
Thee;  but  in  the  shadow  of  Gethsemane  our  love  was  selfish 
and  unpractical.  We  thought  that  we  were  giving  all  that 
was  possible  to  us  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world ; but 
now,  as  we  stand  on  Calv^ary,  we  are  ashamed  to  look  at  what 
we  gave,  and  at  what  we  kept  back.  0 Lord,  we  do  care ; but 
make  us  care  more,  we  pray  Thee,  Give  us  Thy  enthusiasm 
for  missionary  work.  Thy  passion  for  souls  ! And  even  to-day, 
as  we  rise  from  our  knees,  send  us  out  to  take  some  new  and 
definite  part  in  bringing  the  needy  world  to  Thee. 


APPENDIX 


Human  hearts  are  naturally  responsive  to  human  need.  Three 
months  before  I sailed  for  Peru  I had  no  interest  whatever  in 
that  country.  I was  ignorant,  however,  not  callous.  Similarly  the 
Christians  of  England  and  America  have  neglected  the  land  of  the 
Incas  ; not  because  they  cared  not,  but  because  they  knew  not.  To-day, 
how  little  has  been  done  for  the  evangelization  of  the  republic  except 
by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society ; nothing  whatever  by  the 
Church  of  England,  the  Baptists,  Presbyterians,  Wesleyans,  Con- 
gregationalists,  or  by  any  other  English  denomination.  In  North 
America  the  only  society  which  has  made  such  an  effort  is  the  American 
Methodist  Episcopalian  Mission,  and  through  them  the  American  Bible 
Society. 

If,  through  God’s  grace,  knowledge  about  Peru  shall  arouse  ambition 
in  my  readers  to  have  some  definite  part  in  spreading  the  Good  News 
throughout  the  republic,  they  will  be  glad  to  know  of  a medium 
through  which  help  may  be  rendered. 

The  Regions  Beyond  Missionary  Union,  besides  its  inter- 
denominational missionary  training  college  and  home  organization,  and 
its  missions  in  the  Congo  Free  State,  Behar,  and  the  Argentine  Republic, 
has  a growing  work  in  Peru.  Four  centres  are  at  present  occupied  by 
its  eighteen  missionaries  : Lima,  Arequipa,  Cuzco,  and  the  farm  “ Urco.” 
By  means  of  Medical  Mission  work,  a Gospel  press,  itinerating  and 
private  preaching,  they  are  bringing  blessing  to  this  needy  land,  and 
hastening  the  day  when  Peru  shall  be  granted  complete  religious  liberty, 
and  her  people  encouraged  to  study  the  Way  of  Salvation,  which  to 
most  of  them  is  still  unknown. 

Will  friends  wishing  to  help  this  work  by  their  prayers,  freewill 
offerings,  or  personal  services,  communicate  with  Dr.  H.  Grattan 
Guinness,  and  spread  missionary  interest  among  their  friends  by  taking 
in  The  Regions  Beyond,  a beautifully  illustrated  monthly,  which  they 
may  obtain  from  any  one  of  the  central  offices  of  the  Union : — 


Headquarters 
Scotland  . 
Australasia 
Canada 


Harley  House,  Bow,  London,  E. 
Grove  Street  Institute,  Glasgow. 
34  Queen  Street,  Melbourne. 

210  Seaton  Street,  Toronto. 


424 


GLOSSARY 


— ♦ — 

ABBREVIATIONS  USED. 

K.  =Keclma. 

S.  = Spanish. 

P.  = Spanish  as  used  in  Peru. 
Lit.  = literally. 


Acequia 

. P. 

Open  street  drain. 

Adobe . 

. S. 

Sun-baked  brick  of  mud  and  straw. 

Alfalfa 

. S. 

Lucerne. 

Alliman  cani 

. K. 

I am  quite  well. 

A ndenes 

. P. 

Terraces. 

Antiguedades 

. S. 

Curiosities. 

Apura 

. s. 

Hurry  up ! 

Balsa  . 

. p. 

Reed  canoe. 

Beata  . 

. s. 

“Blessed  woman,”  or  one  who,  although 
not  immured  in  a nunnery,  devotes 
her  life  to  religious  ceremonies. 

Bestias 

. s. 

Beasts. 

Blancos 

. s. 

White  people,  upper  classes. 

Caballero 

. s. 

Gentleman. 

Calk 

. s. 

Street. 

Callejon 

. p. 

Open  yard  or  narrow  passage,  lined  with 
small  rooms  inhabited  by  the  poor. 

Camarin 

. s. 

Little  room. 

Castillos 

. p. 

Wooden  frames  for  fireworks. 

Cauchero 

. p. 

Rubber-trader. 

Caucho 

. p. 

Rubber. 

Chicha 

. K. 

Wine  made  from  Indian  corn. 

Chicharia  . 

. P. 

Public-house  where  chicha  is  sold. 

Chola  or  Cholita  . 

. P. 

Lower-class  girl. 

Cholos 

. P. 

Half-breeds. 

Chupi 

. K. 

Soup. 

Como  estd  ? . 

. s. 

How  do  you  do? 

Compadrazco  system 
28 

. s. 

System  of  sponsors. 
425 

426 


GLOSSARY 


Conmadre  . 

. S. 

Sister -godmother. 

Conquistadores 

. s. 

Conquerors. 

Coral  .... 

. s. 

Stable. 

Cordillera  . 

. s. 

A mountain  range. 

Cori  .... 

. K. 

Gold. 

Costumbre  . 

. s. 

Custom,  habit. 

Crux  .... 

. s. 

Cross. 

Cura  .... 

. s. 

Parish  priest. 

Cuzqueito  . 

. p. 

A native  of  Cuzco. 

Deacansos  . 

. s. 

Resting-places. 

Dona  .... 

. s. 

Lady. 

El  Dorado  . 

. s. 

The  land  of  gold.  The  legendary  goal  of 
the  Spanish  adventurers. 

Fiesta 

. s. 

Feast. 

Finca  .... 

. s. 

Farm. 

Fuerza 

. s. 

Strength. 

Gallinaza 

. s. 

Vulture. 

Garua 

. p. 

Mist. 

Gente  decent e 

. p. 

Upper  classes,  as  distinct  from  Cholos, 
lower  classes,  and  Indians. 

Gringa 

. p. 

Foreign  lady. 

Hacienda  . 

. s. 

Farm. 

Haciendado 

. s. 

Owner  of  farm. 

Hamuy ! . . . 

. K. 

Come  along ! 

Imdgen 

. s. 

Image. 

Imaina  cccshangui  ? 

. K. 

How  do  you  do  1 

Inca  .... 

. K. 

Title  of  sovereign  of  Tahuantin  Suyo. 

Indiacito 

. P. 

Little  Indian  (applied  to  a child). 

Inti  .... 

. K. 

The  Sun,  Deity  of  the  Incas. 

Jebe  .... 

. S. 

Rubber. 

Limetio-a  . 

. P. 

Native  of  Lima. 

Madre 

. S. 

Mother. 

Mai-mai 

. K. 

Mother.  Used  as  a greeting  to  women. 

Manancanchu 

. K. 

There  is  none. 

Manta,  or  mantilla 

. S. 

Black  shawl  draped  over  head  and 
shoulders  by  Peruvian  ladies. 

Mestizo 

. P. 

Lit.  mixed  ; half-breed. 

GLOSSARY 


427 


Misa  .... 

. S. 

Mass. 

Mitta  .... 

. K. 

Turn.  Obligatory  service  which  Indians 
render  to  the  Spaniards  or  priests. 

Montana 

. P. 

The  Amazonian  region  of  Peru. 

Mosoc-nina 

. K. 

Sacred  flame  burnt  before  imago  of  the 
Sun. 

Moti  . 

. K. 

Baked  corn. 

MuchacJms  . 

. P. 

Maids. 

Oremos ! . . . 

. S. 

Let  us  pray  I 

Padre .... 

. s. 

Father.  Name  commonly  given  to  a 
priest. 

Pampa 

. p. 

An  elevated,  uncultivated  plain. 

Parcialidades 

. p. 

Indian  hamlets. 

Parentela  espiriUial  . 

. s. 

Spiritual  kinship. 

Paseos 

. s. 

Parks  or  avenues  where  it  is  fashionable  to 
drive  or  promenade. 

Pastorales  . 

. s. 

Bishop’s  letters. 

Patio  .... 

. s. 

Courtyard  round  which  a Peruvian  house 
is  built. 

Peruano-a  . 

. p. 

Native  of  Peru. 

Picante 

. p. 

Curry. 

Picanteria  . 

. p. 

House  where  picante  is  sold. 

Plaza .... 

. s. 

Square  round  wliich  a Peruvian  town  is 
built. 

Poncho 

. p. 

Blanket  with  hole  in  middle  to  slip  over 
head,  used  as  an  overcoat  by  Cholos  and 
Indians. 

Portales 

. s. 

Cloisters. 

Punas 

. p. 

Cultivable  plains  at  a great  altitirde. 

Quinua 

. K. 

The  most  hardy  of  grains. 

Real  .... 

. P. 

2M. 

Reboso 

. P. 

Indian  head-cloth. 

Reparto  forzoso  . 

. P. 

Distribution  by  force  (trade  term). 

Saiitos 

. s. 

Saints. 

Sehor  .... 

. s. 

Sir,  lord. 

Sehor  cura  . 

. s. 

Parish  priest. 

Senorita 

. s. 

Miss,  young  lady. 

Serimjal 

. p. 

Land  bearing  a group  of  rubber  trees. 

Serirujue.ro  . 

. p. 

A rubber-trader. 

Sierra 

. p. 

The  mountainous  part  of  Peru. 

Sorroche 

. p. 

Mountain-sickness. 

428 

GLOSSARY 

Tai-tai 
Temhlores  . 

. . K.  Man,  sir,  lord. 

. . S.  Earthquakes. 

Usccayta ! . 

. K.  Hurry  up ! 

Yaravis 

Vareta 

. . K.  Sad  Inca  melodie.s. 

. P.  Patch  of  moss,  used  as  firewood. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 


— ♦ — 

HISTORICAL.— PART  I. 

1607.  GarciA,  Gregorio.  Origen  de  los  Indios  de  el  Nuevo  Miindo. 

1617.  Vega,  Inca  Garcilaso  de  la.  Ynca  Historia  del  Peru. 

1777.  Marmontel,  Jean  FRANgois.  Les  Incas. 

1813.  Prichard,  James  Cowles.  Researches  into  the  Physical  History  of 
Mankind,  Vol.  V. 

1847.  Prescott,  W.  H.  Oonquest  of  Peru. 

1851.  Tschudi,  D.  J.  D.  de.  Antigiiedades  Peruanes. 

1857.  Markham,  C.  R.  Cuzco  and  Lima. 

1860.  Cordova,  Dr.  D.  Mariano  Fernandez  de.  Historia  de  Copacahana. 
1862.  Wilson,  Prof.  Daniel.  Prehistoric  Man. 

1868.  Brinton,  Dr.  Myths  of  the  New  World. 

1870.  Squier,  E.  G.  Ruins  of  Peru.  (American  Naturalist.) 

1872.  Palma,  R.  Tradiciones. 

1878.  Wake,  C.  S.  Evolution  of  Morality,  Vol.  I. 

1880.  Reiss,  Wilhelm.  Necropolis  of  Ancon  in  Peru. 

1884.  RfiviLLE,  A.  Lectures  on  the  Origin  of  Religion. 

1885.  Markham,  C.  R.  Encyclopajdia  Britannica.  (Peru.) 

1892.  Markham,  C.  R.  History  of  Peru. 

1893.  Unanue,  E.  Larrabdre  y.  Monografias  Historico-Americanas. 

1898.  Griffith,  George.  Virgin  of  the  Sun. 

„ Dorsey,  G.  A.  Bibliography  of  the  Anthropology  of  Peru. 

1900.  Patron,  Pablo.  Origen  del  Kechua  y del  Aymard. 

1902.  Mendiburo,  Manuel  de.  Apuntes  Historicos. 

„ Kirkpatrick,  F.  A.,  M.A.  Spanish  Dominions  in  America.  (Camb. 
Modern  History,  Vol.  X.) 

1903.  Lee,  J.  The  Greater  Exodus. 

„ Tylor,  Dr.  Primitive  Culture. 

1906.  Baessler,  a.  Altperuanische  Metallgeriite. 

„ Baessler,  A.  Peruanische  Mumien  untersuchungen  mit  v.  Strahlen. 

1907.  Kirkpatrick,  F.  A.,  M.A.  Establishment  of  Independence  in  Spanish 

America.  (Camb.  Modern  History,  Vol.  X.) 

„ Gamboa,  Sarmiento  de.  History  of  the  Incas.  (Hakluyt  Series.) 


430 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


GENERAL.— PART  II. 

1893.  Raimondi.  Indian  Tribes  of  Loreto. 

1867.  Bustamante,  Juan.  Los  Indios  del  Peru. 

1876.  Hartt,  C.  F.  Archives  do  Museu  Nacional  do  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Vol. 
VI. 

1880.  Taylor,  William.  Our  South  American  Cousins. 

1882.  Hield,  Mary.  Glimpses  of  South  America. 

1884.  Cole.  Peruvians  at  Home. 

1885.  Bates,  H.  M.  Central  and  South  America. 

„ Ocampo,  Samanez  y.  Exploracion  de  los  rios  peruanos. 

1886-1887.  CouDREAU,  H.  A.  fitudes  sur  I’Amazonie. 

1888.  Guillaume,  Herbert.  Amazon  Provinces  of  Peru. 

1889.  Darwin,  C.  A Naturalist’s  Voyage. 

„ Evans,  P.  F.  From  Peru  to  the  Plate  Overland. 

„ Fry,  C.  Gran  Region  de  los  bosques  o rios  peruanos  navegables. 

„ Wallace.  Travels  on  the  Amazon. 

1891.  Clark,  E.  B.  Twelve  Months  in  Peru. 

1892.  Ordinaire,  0.  Du  Pacifique  PAtlantique. 

„ Whymper,  G.  Travels  amongst  the  Great  Andes  of  the  Equator. 

1894.  Onelli,  C.  Trepando  los  Andes. 

1897.  Ehrenreich,  Paul.  Anthropologische  Studien  iiber  die  Urbewohner 

Brasiliens,  vornehmlich  de  Staaten  Matto  Grosso,  Goyaz,  und 
Amazonas. 

1898.  Brinton,  D.  G.  Dwarf  Tribe  of  the  Upper  Amazon. 

1900.  Carpenter,  F.  G.  South  America.^ 

1900-1907.  Boletin  de  la  Sociedad  Geografica  de  Lima. 

1903.  Petrocoking.  Along  the  Andes. 

„ Lowe,  F.  La  Raza  Indigena  del  Peru.  Narrative  of  a Journey  from 
Lima  to  Para,  1836. 

1905.  Fuentes.  Cuzco. 

1906.  Enock,  C.  R.  The  Andes  and  the  Amazon, ‘ 

„ Lisson.  La  Cuidad  de  los  Reyes. 

„ Bailey,  Solon  I.  New  Peruvian  Route  to  the  Plain  of  the  Amazon. 
Reprinted  from  National  Geographical  Magazine,  August,  1906. 

1907.  Amazon  Trading  and  Development  Company. 

1908.  Clark,  Francis  E.  The  Continent  of  Opportunity.^ 

„ Enock,  C.  R.  Peru.^ 

* These  volumes  will  be  specially  useful  to  those  who  wish  for  further  information. 
For  the  convenience  of  such,  their  price  and  the  names  of  their  publishers  are  mentioned. 
Andes  and  the  Ajnazon:  Life  and  Travel  in  Peru,  C.  R.  Enock;  21s;  T.  Fisher 
Unwin,  Loudon.  The  Continent  of  Opportunity,  Francis  E.  Clark  ; 3s.  6d.  net ; 
Fleming  Kevell,  New  York.  Peru,  C.  R.  Enock  ; lOs.  net ; T.  Fisher  Unwin,  London. 
Soxith  America : Social,  Industrial,  and  Political,  F.  G.  Carpenter  ; 12s.  Cd.  net 
(S3);  Western  W.  Wilson,  14  Thomas  Street,  New  York. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


431 


ROMANISM.— PART  III. 

1829.  Bewley,  Henry.  A Defence  of  the  Ancient  Principles  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

1846.  Michelet,  J.  Priests,  Women,  and  Families. 

1847.  Tayler,  William  Elfe.  Popery  : its  Character  and  its  Crimes. 

„ Steinmetz,  Andrew.  The  Novitiate,  or  the  Jesuit  in  Training. 

1851.  Timpson,  Rev.  Thomas.  The  Inquisition  Revealed. 

1852.  WiLLET.  Synopsis  Papismi,  Vols.  I.-VIII. 

1866.  Gavazzi,  Alessandro.  No  Union  with  Rome. 

„ Wylie,  Rev.  J.  A.,  LL.D.  Rome  and  Civil  Liberty. 

1869.  Mackenna,  B.  VicdSa.  The  Inquisition  as  it  was  in  South  America. 
1877.  Gayer,  A.  E.  Papal  Infallibility  and  Supremacy. 

1880.  Manning,  H.  E.  The  Temporal  Power  of  the  Pope. 

1885.  Chiniqdy.  Fifty  Years  in  the  Church  of  Rome. 

1887.  Guinness,  H.  G.,  D.D.  Romanism  and  the  Reformation. 

1889.  Kenmare,  The  Nun  op.  Life  Inside  the  Church  of  Rome. 

„ Pr6,  James  dd.  Roma  Antigua  et  Recens. 

1891.  Agnes,  Sister  Mary,  O.S.B.  Nunnery  Life  in  the  Church  of  England. 
1896.  Wright,  Rev.  C.  H.  H.,  D.D.  A Primer  of  Roman  Catholicism. 

„ Smith,  Samuel,  M.P.  Claims  of  Rome. 

1905.  Bain,  John  A.  The  New  Reformation. 

1906.  Comte,  R.  le.  From  Rome  to  Christ. 

„ Hase,  Karl  von.  Handbook  to  the  Controversy  with  Rome,  Vols.  I. 
and  II. 

MISSIONARY. 

1816-1905.  American  Bible  Society’s  Reports.  Nos.  1-89. 

1820-1868.  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  Nos.  6-22. 

1877-1890.  American  Bible  Society  “ Record.”  Nos.  22-35. 

1894.  Millard,  E.  C.,  and  Guinness,  L.  E.  The  Neglected  Continent. 
1894-1898.  Bright,  C.  Peru — An  Occasional  Record  of  Gospel  Labours, 
Trials,  and  Blessings. 

„ Land  of  the  Incas,  A Record  of  the  Peruvian  Mission  of  R.B.M.U. 
„ “ Regions  Beyond.” 

1899.  Olsson,  E.  The  Dark  Continent  at  our  Doors. 

1900.  Student  Volunteer  Movement.  Protestant  Missions  in  South 

America.  1 

1 These  volumes  will  be  specially  useful  to  any  who  wi.sh  for  further  information. 
For  the  convenience  of  such,  their  price  and  the  names  of  their  publishers  are  mentioned. 
For  Christ  and  Cuzco,  Mrs.  Newell;  2s.  net.,  post  free  ; Regions  Beyond  Publishing 
Department,  Harley  House,  Bow,  London,  E.  Latin  America,  Hubert  W.  Brown  ; 
4s.  net  (S1.20) ; Revell,  New  York,  Chicago,  Toronto.  South  America:  A Mission 
Field,  Bishop  T.  Neely  ; Is.  3d.  (30  cents) ; Eaton  & Mains,  New  York.  Not  Unto 
Us  (Peruvian  Section),  Geraldine  Guinness  ; 2s.  6d.  ; Regions  Beyond  Publishing 
Department,  Harley  House,  Bow,  London,  E.  Protesta7it  Missions  in  South  America  ; 
2s.  Id.  ; Student  Volunteer  Movement,  New  York. 


432 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


1901.  Brown,  H.  W.  Latin  America.^ 

1902-1904.  Bible  Society  Reporter.  (B.  and  F.  B.  S.) 

1903.  Ray,  G.  W.  Through  Five  Republics  on  Horseback. 

1904.  Canton,  W.  History  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  Vol. 

II. 

1906.  Newell,  Mrs.  For  Christ  and  Cuzco  : A Memorial  of  W.  H.  Newell.^ 
„ Neely",  Bishop  T.  South  America  ; A Mission  Field.^ 

1908.  Guinness,  Geraldine.  “ Not  Unto  Us”  (Peruvian  Section).^ 


1 See  footnote  on  previous  page. 


INDEX 


A 

Agnosticism 

Agriculture 

Aguarunas  . 
Alexander  Vi., 
Pope 
Almagro 
Alpacas 
Altitude 


Amazon 


Amusements, 

Peruvian 

Andenes 

Architecture 

Arequipenos 

Atahualpa  . 
Ayulo,  Senor 


B 

Backhouse,  Harry 
Bai)tisms  in  Peru 
Basalt . 

Bats.  . 

Benedict  Xiv. 
Bible  Societies, 
The 
Blancos 

Boa-constrictors  . 
Bolivar 
Boniface  VIII. 
Bridge  of  Lima  . 
British  and 

Foreign  Bible 
Society 
Bull-fighting 


104,  131,  241,  250. 

7,  23,  116,  128,  164, 
218,  381,  401. 

226,  233,  234. 

101. 

40. 

123,  165. 

7,  8,  21,  30,  55,  116, 
123,  128,  169,  210, 
217. 

6,  7,  124,  127,  128, 
209-218,  221,  236, 
400,  406. 

107,  108,  118,  168, 
255,  329,  359. 

23,  29,  30,  164. 

12,  21,  33,  63,  86, 
96. 

118,  119,  253-258, 
381. 

22,  41-43,  51,  231. 

103,  188. 


392. 

270. 

116. 

85. 

264. 

263,  399. 

77,  128. 
7. 

74-76. 

373. 

71. 

235,  395. 


30,  107,  108,  119, 
307,  359. 


C 

Calvario,  Pilgrim- 
age to 
Campas 
Cannibalism 
Canon  Law . 
Cas6s,  Dr.  D. 

Fernando 
Castillo 
Cathedrals  . 


Cave-dwellers 

Cereals 

Ceremonialism  . 


Character — 
Iberiirn 
Peruvian  . 

Inca  Indian 
Savage 
Priest 
Missionary 
Charles  IV.  . 
Charles  v.  . 
Cherimoyas 
Chicharia  de  la 
Inquisicion 
Child-life  . 

Children  of  the 
Sun 

Chimus,  Civiliza- 
tion of  the 
Chinese 

Cfiiniquy,  Father 
Cholitas 

Cholos 


316,  317. 

226,  231,  232. 

232,  233. 

244,  245. 

266. 

181,  182,  260,  407. 

62,  151,  182,  218, 
267,  270,  293,  305, 
307,  308,  311,  323, 
326,  343,  344,  348, 
350. 

19,  230. 

20,  23,  45,  61,  127, 
164-167. 

98,  119,  153,  182, 
249,  258,  259,  263, 
267,  272,  289,  313, 
322,  333,  393. 

52,  53,  58,  76. 

87,  97,  108,  109, 118, 
143,  157,  215. 

184,  187-193. 

221,  225,  234. 

361-363. 

405,  416-418. 

72. 

62. 

88. 

57. 

88,  93,  135-146, 154, 
156,  165,  167. 

19-24,  29,  63-65. 

11,  12,  85,  86. 

86,  87,  95. 

295. 

149-159,  301,  303, 
317. 

77,  119,  168,  182, 
198,  199,  328. 


433 


434 


INDEX 


Cinchona  bark  . 
Climate 

Coast  valleys,  The 
Coca  . 

Cochrane,  Lord  . 
Cock-fighting 
Coflee  . 
Colcampata 
Colportage  work 
Commerce  . 

Compadrazco  sys- 
tem 
Condor 

Confessional,  The 
Confucianism 
Congress 
Conquest  of  Peru 
Consul-General  of 
Peru 
Convents 
Copacabana, 
Virgin  of 
(^orbacho.  Flora  . 
Coricancha,  the 
“Place  of  Gold  ” 
Cortes  . 

Cotton 

Council  of  Trent . 
Cricket 
Crime  . 

Cura  (see  Priests). 


D 

Damian,  Peter  . 

Darwin 

Deer  . 

Deism  . 

Desert  of  Peru  . 
Disease 

Dominicans 

Don  Quixote 
Dress  . 


Drunkenness 
Durand,  Augusto 


E 

F.arthquakes 
Echinique,  Senor 


“16. 

39,123, 163,210,218. 
6,  22,  83-88. 

165,  168,  180,  218. 
74,  92. 

107. 

8,  83,  216,  218. 

65. 

399. 

56, 84,88,92,98,130, 
216. 

138,  247. 

55,  85,  164. 

353-358,  367,  371. 
93. 

76,  77,  246. 

39-47. 

111. 

11,  28,  44,  382. 

312. 

395-399. 

33,  34,  43,  45,  57, 
62,  63. 

337. 

8,  83,  88. 

321,  367. 

107. 

55,  359. 


288. 

Ill,  131. 

7,  85. 

104. 

5,  7,  115-119. 

136,  143,  170,  214, 
392,  396,  408. 

42,  63,  249,  265,  327, 
357. 

54. 

27,  67,  97,  109,  118, 
130,  149,  150,  177, 
178,  222,  229,  270, 
271,  .303,  305,  306, 
310,  347. 

88,  168,  177. 

248. 


96. 

190. 


Education  . 

El  Dorado  . 

El  Prado,  Church 
and  Nunnery  of 
Electric  cars 
“Empire  of  the 
Four  Provinces  ” 
Epidemics  . 

Eucalyptus  trees 
Evangelistic 
methods 


Exploration 

Exports  (sec  Com- 
merce). 

Extreme  Unction 


F 

Fanaticism  . 


Farming  (see  Agri- 
culture). 

Feasts  . 

Flora — 

Coast 
Montana  . 
Sierra 
Football 
Forests 

Forga,  Sefior 
Eduardo 
Franciscans. 

Freethought 
F ruit  . 


G 

Gambling  . 
Garden  of  Manco 
Capac 

Genecchi,  Padre . 
Gente  decente 

Giraldo,  Dr. 

Santiago 
Gold  . 

Granado,  Dr. 

Don  Francisco 
Maria  del 


54,  72,  95,  101-111, 
370,  379-387. 

39,  40,  52,  55. 

281,  373,  384. 

93,  94. 

22. 

55,  87,  142,  143, 
214. 

20,  21. 

107,  111,  131,  142, 
149-159,  166,  170, 
183,  193,  206,221, 
225,  235,  256,  328. 

39,  209,  211,  212, 
222,  225,  405. 


367,  371,  374. 


43,  58,  77,  10.5,  215, 
245,  247,  253,  2.56, 
322,  344,  359,  364, 
395,  396. 


34,  35,  249,  288-297. 
83. 

85,  96. 

30,  116,  123. 

107. 

8. 

257. 

85,  265,  306,  312, 
327. 

86,  104,  110. 

88. 


110. 

20,  21. 

264. 

119,  128,  189,  198, 
199,  303. 

189,  204. 

34,  55,  221. 

316. 


INDEX 


435 


Grapes  . . 88. 

Grenadillas . . 88. 

Guano . . .85,  88. 


H 


J 


Jajianese  Lega- 
tion 

Jarre tt,  Mr. 
Jarrett,  Mrs. 
Jerome  Society  . 


Historic  sites 


Holguin,  Mon- 
senor  H. 

Hotels . 

House  of  Repre- 
sentatives 
Huanca 
Huascar 

Huayna  Capac  . 

Huxley 

Hygiene 


8,  11,  12,  20,  21,  24, 
28,  30,  39,  40,  43, 
55,  57,  Cl,  66,  71, 
86,  92,  317,  346, 
364,  391,  392. 

256. 

307,  309,  408. 

77. 

151. 

22. 

22. 

131. 

85,  87,  92,  93,  136, 
143,  149,  156,  157, 
170,  214. 


I 

Iberian 

Idolatry 


Image  worship  . 


Immaculate  Con- 
ception, Virgin 
of  the 

Immigration 
Immorality . 


Inca  Indians 


Incas  . 

Indulgences 
Inquisition,  The  . 

Inti 

Intoleration  (see 
Religious  Lib- 
erty). 

Irrigation  (see 
Agriculture). 


52,  65. 

12,  62,  63,  180, 

278,  292,  297,  321, 
330. 

150,  151,  258,  259, 
277-282,  312,  313, 
343-350. 

293,  295. 


55,  87,  95,  102,  214. 
52,  55,  64,  107,  136, 
157,  205,  231,235, 
254,  310,  358,  363, 
369,  387,  394. 

83,  93,  95,  138,  163- 
170,  177-179,  191, 
192. 


15,  19-24,  28-30,  44, 
63,  65-67. 

316,  372-374. 


56,  57,  73, 

77, 

94, 

360,  364. 

19,  27-36, 

46, 

62, 

346-350. 

K 


Kechua 
Kelvin,  Lord 


L 

La  Merced  . 

La  I’az 
“LaPrensa” 

La  Torre,  1 )r. 
Francisco  Gomez 
de 

Labour  Day  De- 
monstration 
Las  Casas  . 
Lemons 
Leon,  Friar. 
Liberalism,  Peru- 
vian 
Limefia 
Literature  . 


Lizards 

Llamas 

Lodge,  Oliver 
Lodge,  Robert  . 
Lottery-tickets  . 


M 

M=Nairn,  A. 
Stuart 

M‘>Nairn,  Mrs.  . 
Mama  Ocllo 
Manco  Capac 
Markham  . 
“Mary  the  Sad” 
Mass  . 

Materialization  of 
Christianity 
(see  Roman 
Catholicism). 


87. 

255,  256,  258. 
143,  255,  258. 
264. 


63,  128,  137,  150, 
166,  380. 

111. 


131,  288. 
174,  174. 
109. 

103. 


103. 

63. 

88. 

295. 

106,  215,  257,  359, 
370,  392. 

97. 

63,  104,  111,  131, 
256,  263-265,  314, 
380,  384,  395-399. 
85. 

28,  124,  130,  165, 
169,  410. 

111. 

392. 

108,  119. 


106,  346. 

142. 

19. 

19-21,  66,  301. 

21,  66,  184,  189. 
258. 

235,  266,  269,  373. 


INDEX 


436 


Materialism 


Medicine 
IMercederiau 
monks 
Mestizos 
Metals 
Michael 
Milne,  Mr. 
Missionaries 


Monasteries 

Mongiardino, 

Jose 

Monks  {see  Priests) 
Montana 

Montenegro 
Monteros 
Morality  {sec 
Immorality). 
Mosoc-nina  . 
IMostajo,  Sefior 
^Motherhood 


104,  131  {see 
Agnostieis  m, 
Freethouglit). 

143,  214,  399,  411. 

327. 

54,  77  {sec  Cholos). 

84,  218. 

323. 

105. 

76,  86,  92,  106,  111, 
130,  142,  149,  158, 
159,  183,  223,  235, 
246,  256,  257,  263, 
359,  381,  391-421. 

23,  63,  64,  86,  218, 
354. 

364. 


6,  7,  201,  209,  225, 
235. 

39. 

51. 


Mott,  Mr. 
Mountain 


sick- 


34. 

103. 

137,  142-144,  153, 
157,  159,  106,  249, 
250,  255,  270,  303, 
375,  387,  416. 

111. 

55. 


ness 

Mountains  . 


Moyen,  Francisco 
Munroe,  Presi- 
dent 

Museum  of  Lima 


N 

Naymlaj) 

Negroes 
Newell,  Mr. 
Newell,  Mrs. 
Nitrates 

No  vena  of  La 
Merced 

Nuestra  Sefiora 
de  Merced 
N undo,  Pojie’s  . 
Nursing 


7,  21,  30,  33,  86,  123, 
128,  174,  179,  180, 
209,  305. 

57. 

75. 

57. 


12. 

77,  83,  93. 

104,  267,  392,  418. 
417. 

88. 

150. 

152. 

245. 

142,  143,  154,  395, 
411,  416. 


O 

Oranges 

Orton,  Professor. 

Our  I.ady  of 

liellen 

Our  Lady  of 

Copacahana 

Our  Lady  of 

Mercy 

Our  Lady  of 

Solitude 

Our  Lady  of  the 
Good  Success 

Our  Lord  of 

Huanca 

Our  Lord  of  the 
Earthquakes 

Our  Lord  of  the 
Sea 


P 

“ Pachacamac  ” 
Pachacutec 
Paganism  . 

Palace  of  the 
Virgins 

Palma,  Dr. 

Ricardo 
Paltas  . 

“Paradise  of 
Peru” 

‘ ‘ Patron  of 
Butchers  ” 

Paul  ili.’s  Bull  . 
Payne,  Mr.  . 
Peaches 
Penance 
Persecution. 

Pilgrimages. 
Pineapples  . 

Pinn,  Miss  . 

Piros  . 

I’ius  IV.,  Pope 
Pizarro 

“ Place  of  Gold  ”. 
Plague,  Bubonic . 
Porphyry  . 
Pottery 
Poverty 

Prescott 


88. 

218,  225. 

152. 

173,  183,  290,  294. 
98,  288. 

296. 

291,  292. 

151. 

62,  150,  151,  267, 
343-350. 

277. 


29. 


21. 

87,  174,  180,  230, 
266,  283,  335. 

63. 


54,  110. 

88. 

127. 


181. 

63. 

191,  201. 

88. 

29,  369,  373. 

57,  63,  247,  263, 
364. 

183,  301,  335. 

8,  88. 

154,  255. 

231. 

264. 

39-43,  51,  54,  62,  75, 
93,  94. 

33. 

87. 

33. 

12,  28,  30. 

87,  95,  136,  138, 
149. 

337. 


INDEX 


437 


Priests 


Processions . 


Punas  . 
Purgatory  . 


Q 

Quinine 


R 

Radicals 
Railways 
Rainfall 
Ramon 
Rationalism 
Raymi,  Feast  of . 
Religious  con- 
trasts 

Religious  liberty 


Rice  . 

Ritchie,  Mr. 
Roman  Catholi- 
cism— 

Its  Ministers 
(see  Priests). 
Its  Cere- 
monies (see 
Ceremonial- 
ism). 

Its  Materializ- 
ing Influence 

Its  Demoraliz- 
ing Influence 
Rosary,  The 
Rubber 
Ruins  . 


S 

Saccolanti  . 

St.  Anthonj^  of 
Padua 


2.1,  42,  43,  51,  63, 
64,  72,  86,  93,  94, 
174,  182-184,  202, 
214,  235,  249,  265, 
280,  282,  312,  336, 
353-364,  368-370, 
375. 

34,  146,  180,  253, 
258,  277,  290,  322, 
327,  347,  348,  350, 
371,  372. 

7. 

372,  374,  375. 


216,  218. 


103,  107. 

85,  116,  124. 

5-7,  39. 

393-395. 

324. 

34. 

131. 

77,  102,  166,  215, 
246,  247,  379,  391, 
392. 

83,  84,  222,  224. 

103,  257,  258. 


272,  283,  290,  297, 
330,  333. 

64,  235,  357-359, 
369,  370. 

265. 

6,  221-225. 

8,  12,  20,  24,  30,  86. 


265. 

265. 


St.  Bernard 
St.  Francis  . 

St.  Mark,  Uni- 
versity of 
Salaverry,  F elipe 
Santiago 
Salt 

San  Antonio  de 
Lisboa 

San  Cristobal 
San  Francisco 
San  Jeronimo 
San  Martin . 

San  Sebastian 
San  Toribio, 
Bishop! 

Sanchez 
Sand.stone  . 
Sanitation  . 
Santa  Ana  . 
Santa  Catalina  . 
Santa  Clara 
Santa  Cruz  . 
Santa  Rosa, 
Church  of 
Santo  Atahualpa 
Santo  Domingo  . 
Scapulary  . 
Senate . 

Shepherds  . 
Sierra  . 

Sitna  . 

Slavery 

Social  conditions 


Socialism 
Solario,  Fran- 
cisco de 
Soto 

South  American 
Missionary 
Society 

Spanish  Con- 
quest, The 
Spencer 
Spices  . 
Spiritualism 
Sports  . 

Squier,  Mr. 
Student  Volun- 
teer Movement 
Sugar  . 
Sun-worship 

Superstition 


288. 

265. 

54. 

84. 

93. 

279. 

323. 

149,  2.59. 

329. 

74,  75. 

280,  329. 

64. 

189. 

33. 

85,  93,  149,  157. 
61. 

63. 

149. 

189. 

278. 

231. 

34.  63,  2.59. 

265. 

77. 

165,  166. 

6,  123-132,  209. 

35. 

23,  63,  1.38,  168. 
247-249  (see  Im- 
morality, Hy- 
giene). 

103. 

55. 

54. 

236. 


22,  23,  35,  43,  337. 

Ill,  131. 

211,  216. 

88,  104. 

30,  107,  108,  307, 
359. 

12,  35,  96. 

111. 

8,  83,  85,  93. 

20,  23,  29-36,  42,  86, 
173,  231. 

132,  180,  181 

(see  Image 
Worship). 


438 


INDEX 


T 

Taluiantin  Suyo 

Taylor,  Bishop  . 
Temples 
Terraces 
Tetzel  . 

Tiger  . 

Titicaca 

Tobacco 

Topography  of 
Peru 

Trade  winds 
Ti'avelling  . 


Tupac  Amaru 
Tupac  Yupanqui 


U 

Universities 
University  Lib- 
rary 
Urco  . 


V 

Valverde,  Fray 
Vicente  de 


15,  22-24,  34,  44,  47, 
62,  231. 

245. 

11-15. 

20,  28,  29,  164. 

372. 

7,  224,  225. 

19,  20,  27,  29,  33, 
124, 128,  304,  309. 
83,  216. 

8. 

5,  7. 

8,  30,  56,  85,  93,116, 
123, 127,  212,  301- 
310,  406-410. 
65-67,  189. 

21. 


,54,  86,  110,  131,380. 
104,  131. 

166,  192,  401. 


42,  43,  51. 


Vega,  Garcillaso 
de  la 

Vegetation  . 


Viceroys,  House 
of  the 
Vicunas 
Vigil  . 

Villac  Umu 
Viracocha  . 
Virgin  of  Mercy . 
Virgins  of  tne 
Sun 

Visiting  in  Cuzco 


W 

Walls  . 
Watersnakes 
Watkins,  Rev. 

D.  F. 

We.alth 
Wen  berg,  Mr. 
Wheat 

Wilson,  Professor 
Daniel 
Wood,  Miss 


Y 


54. 

6,  7,  20,  21,  55,  85, 
88,  116,  123,  124, 
127,  167,  209,  212. 
54. 

124,  164. 

110. 

34,  35. 

21. 

130. 

62. 

150-159. 


11. 

7. 


3.3-36,  54-56,  211. 
256. 

93. 

12. 

248. 


Yarctas  . .123. 

Y.M.C.A.  . . 111. 


MORGAN  AND  SCOTT  I.TD.,  LONDON,  ENGLAND. 


INDEX  TO  MAP  OF  PERU. 


Aguatani . . , 

. 8.G. 

Amazon,  R.  . . 

. 2.E- 

Andes  .... 

I.C.— 

Apurimac,  R.  . 

. 7.E. 

Arequipa . . . 

. 9.F. 

Asillo  .... 

. 8.F. 

Auzangati  Mt. 

. 7.F. 

Ayacucho  . . 

. 7.D. 

Aynan  . . . 

. 7.E. 

Bolivia  . . . 

. 8.G- 

Brazil .... 

Cajamarca  . . 

. 4.B. 

Callao  .... 

. 7.C. 

Caylloma.  . . 

. 8.E. 

Cerro  de  Pasco . 

. 6.C. 

Chachani  Mt.  . 

. 9.F. 

Chachapoyas  . 

. 4.C. 

Chala  . . . . 

. 8.D. 

Checacupe  . . 

. 8.F. 

Chequerac  . . 

. 7.E. 

Chincha  . . 

. 7.C. 

Copacabana . . 

. 9.G. 

Cuzco  .... 

. 7.E. 

Ecuador  . . . 

. l.A. 

El  Misti  Mt. 

. 9.F. 

Huallaga,  R. 

4.C.— J 

Huanuco.  . . 

. 5.C. 

Huaraz  . . . 

. 5.C. 

Ica 

. 8.D. 

Illimani  Mt. 

. 9.H. 

Iquitos  . . . 

. 2.E. 

Islay  .... 

. 9.E. 

La  Paz  . . . 

. 9.G. 

La  Raya  . . . 

. 8.F. 

Lambayecue 

. 4.B. 

Lima  .... 

. 7.C. 

Loreto  . . .. 

. 2.F. 

Madeira,  R,  . . 

. 5.J— L. 

Manaos  . . . 

. 2.K. 

Maranon,  R. 

. 3— 5.C. 

Misagua  . . 

. 6.E. 

Misti  Mt.  . . 

. 9.F. 

Moche 

. 5.B. 

Mollendo  . . 

. 9.F. 

Moyobamba 

. 4.C. 

Oroya  .... 

. G.D. 

Pacasmayo  . . 

. 4.B. 

Paita  .... 

. 3.A. 

Paucartambo,  R. 

7.F.— 6.E 

Pichu-pichu  Mt. 

9.F. 

Pisco  .... 

7.C. 

Puno  .... 

8.F. 

Rimac,  R. 

6.C. 

Sacramento, 

Pampa  de  . 

3— 4.D. 

Salaverry  . . 

.5.B. 

San  Anton  . . 

8.F. 

San  Jeronimo  . 

7.F. 

San  Sebastian  . 

7.E. 

Sicuani  . . . 

8.F. 

Sorata  Mt.  . 

Sun,  Island  of  the 

9.G. 

Tambo  de  Mora 

7.C. 

Tiahuanuco  . . 

9.G. 

Titicaca,  Lake  . 

8.G. 

Trujillo  . . . 

4.B. 

Ucayali,  R.  . . 

3— 6.D. 

Urco  .... 

7.E. 

Urubamba  or 

Vilcamayu  R. 

7.E. 

Vilcamayu  or 

Urubamba  R. 

7.E. 

Vilcanota  Knot 

8.F. 

Yurimagua.s . . 

3.C. 

m 


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F3423  .T24 

Peru  : its  story,  people  and  religion 


Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1 1012  00071  4065 


